


For My Kingdom (Discontinued)

by LackOfReason



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, Character Death, Drama, Epic, Multi, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-01-21 06:15:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21294875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LackOfReason/pseuds/LackOfReason
Summary: The Kingdom of Atlas held the path to a peaceful future in Remnant. That's what my mother always told me. I believe it. That's why I have to destroy the darkness that threatens to consume it. Even if I have to become Evil to do it. I would kill my own brethren if I must. I would slaughter anyone in my way. I would do it all for the Kingdom my mother loved. For My Kingdom.(Now Discontinued due to lack of interest)
Relationships: Jaune Arc/Neon Katt
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. The Future Of Atlas

It was a calm and uneventful night, within a nice and tidy house. A woman sat astride a rocking chair, with a little boy bouncing excitedly on her lap. The woman had long, tidy blonde hair and the child shared the same color, though his was shorter. The joy on the woman's face was almost tangible. The young boy, on the other hand, was looking at her with an expression of anticipation, his face betraying him as he tried to act brave, whilst the woman he sat upon gave him a foreboding look.

"So there I was, surrounded by scary Grimm of all shapes and sizes. I was exhausted, I had no Aura, and no weapon to call my own." The boy's worry was evident. The woman continued with a slightly scared tone. "They looked at me with hunger in their eyes. And then one jumped at me. Graaaagh!" The boy jumped in place, surprised at the sudden attack. His eyes were wide and his attention fully drawn to the intricate story the woman wove.

"And as the Grimm pounced at me, it was shot and defeated with a single bullet. I looked to where it came from and saw none other than… the shining armor of an Atlesian soldier!"

Clapping from the young boy lit up the room, and the woman smiled, thinking about how cute the boy was.

"The soldier then took on all of the Grimm by himself. Not one Grimm got so much as a scratch on his flawless armor. He then helped me up and carried me to safety. That day I learned to never train in the woods alone."

"That soler-solder-solier-man was a nice person for helping mommy." The woman smiled happily and rubbed her son's soft blonde hair. He giggled at his mom's action. "Mommy! Tell me that one story!"

"Which one? There are so many that I have."

The kid now sported an annoyed look. The mother, however, wanted to mess with her son a little. "Mom! You know what story I mean!" Said the young boy as he petulantly flailed his arms.

"Hmm, nope! I'm drawing a blank here. Could you remind me?" The blonde-haired woman laughed at her child's angry face. It truly was his favorite story and she liked to tease him about it sometimes. He was only four years old and yet she knew, from past experience, that the boy had memorized the whole story from beginning to end. "Oh, I believe I suddenly remembered!" She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Now...how did it start again?"

"You were with a saud of people going to a tain!" The woman rubbed the top of Jaune's head and thanked him.

"Yes, yes. I recall now. I was with my squad. And we were told to protect a train filled with many people." The little blonde boy excitedly nodded his head in confirmation. This was his favorite story because she used her "superpowers" to help save people on the train.

"An-an then the tain got attacked!" the boy shouted excitedly, clapping to himself, while his mother smiled down at him.

"Yes. You see, the train was important, for on it were many important people. And so, the men who didn't like those people decided they wanted to remove them." she intoned ominously.

But, not to be outdone, the boy smiled. "But you beat them!" he cheered, and the woman sighed softly.

"We did. How we did so is the real mystery." she said, her tone emphasizing this point.

The boy crossed his arms over his chest. "B-but I know!" he claimed.

"Oh, you do?" The woman tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "You know the mystery of how we won?"

"Yeah! The suad-...-squad you came with helped you. I 'member! Your fwend came and said… he said 'Mam, we'wre uner attack!' and you sai-" The woman put a finger to his lips.

"And I told him 'Man the defenses, and prepare to repel boarders!" She announced in a firm voice before she continued. "But what happened next?"

"Umm...he said….uhh…" The boy fumbled for a few more moments before lighting up. "He said 'They got wocket waunchers!" he yelled happily.

"Yes Sweetheart, they had rocket launchers. But what did the bad men yell when they showed us those nasty weapons?" She gently shifted the boy on her lap, removing an elbow that was digging at her thigh.

He tilted his head a moment before shrugging. "I...can't 'member." he said sadly, tilting his head down.

"Oh, precious, don't worry. Honestly, with how often I tell you this, I'm surprised you don't follow me word for word." She wrapped an arm around him and patted his back softly. "They told us to send the good people out for them to take, or they'd hurt us all, didn't they?"

The boy's face lit up as he remembered, and he nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yeah, they did! And you said they couldn't!"

"I did a little more than that," she said cheekily, patting his cheek. "I protected them all, but had to place myself at risk to do so."

"Oh yeah. Like a weal sowder should!" he chirped. "Then you used your powe's and smashed the bad people's wewpons to bits!" He raised his fist in the air. "And saved the day!"

"Ahh, but you forget sweetheart, I couldn't have done it alone. Who else did I have with me, all the way through?"

"You had your squod with you?" he asked, and the woman smiled indulgently at him, caressing his hair.

"That's right. Without them, I never would have won. You must remember that, Jaune. A team is as strong as its weakest link, and on that day, there was no such thing as a weak link for my team. We had people to protect, and we held the line."

The woman's face glazed over slightly, her lips curling into a smile as she remembered her days of yore. But, as she looked down at her son, she knew that she would give it all up, all over again, just for the sheer privilege of holding the precious bundle in her arms…

* * *

"Do you have your pencil and pen? Oh, what about the notebook I bought for you?"

"Mom! I have everything, I double-checked and put all of it in my backpack." Jaune was six now and it was his first day of school. Of course, his mother wanted to make sure he was prepared. He looked so cute in that little white and black uniform. She couldn't resist taking a picture. "Mom! Don't do that so suddenly!" She also just loved to embarrass him.

"Sorry, sweetie. Anyways, remember to be polite, respectful, and make many friends!" Jaune smiled in response before hugging his mother and walking out the door. His mom watched as he got into the black and white school bus. "I suppose with the new free time I have I could catch up with some old friends." Then she walked back into the house to contact whoever was available.

Meanwhile, Jaune was sitting alone among the middle seats of the bus. It was very noisy, to say the least, but he didn't care. His mom wanted him to do well in school and believed he could fit in nicely. He didn't really think any of the other kids were interesting enough. That was until one stop. A girl that stood out from the rest walked in. She had short orange hair and wore a friendly smile. He watched as she strolled past the many seats. Then for some reason, she stopped at his seat.

"Is it cool if I sit here?" He didn't understand why she wanted to sit here but he was okay with it either way. Jaune nodded and moved aside; the girl sat down and looked right at him. "Sooo. My name is Neon Katt! What's your name, blondy?"

Jaune liked how nice and friendly she was so he responded with the same respectful tone. "My name is Jaune Goodwitch. Nice to meet you, Neon. I hope we can get along and become friends." She smiled and nodded in response.

Along the way to school, they talked about their favorite food and games to play. Well, it was mostly Neon. Jaune just responded sometimes. But he was okay with that; Neon's energy and welcoming nature kept his attention. When they got off, Jaune had expected the school to look plain. It was, but he was still excited about it.

Especially because he just made a friend. He didn't even really do anything! Jaune couldn't really explore since Neon just took his hand immediately after getting off the bus. They talked to one of the teachers in the halls and were told where to go. After they got settled into their class, the rest of the day flew by. Neon had gotten along with many classmates while Jaune tried to do the same. He didn't really have the same interests as many of the other kids. Only one kid knew about soldiers from Atlas but even he only knew they looked cool. Jaune tried to get the boy interested in their heroic appeal, but he didn't care much and soon lost interest.

Jaune just didn't know what to talk about with anyone. There were also a few of them mentioning his "blank stare". They also said it kinda made him look creepy. The blonde boy wasn't really sure what they were talking about. His mother never said anything about his face. And Neon didn't tell him about it either. Maybe his classmates were just weird.

At the end of the day, Jaune was waiting for the bus alone. He was a little sad that his friend Neon wasn't with him. Looking at her while he waited she was definitely popular with a lot of their classmates. It all went back to her energy and friendly act. Jaune just got on the bus when it arrived and sat in the back.

Only a minute later, he heard a familiar voice. "Hey again, Jaune! Is this seat taken?" Jaune found his friend Neon fight before him asking again to sit next to him. He let her do so but he still couldn't help but think about why. "Today was cool and everyone was so nice! Did you make any friends? I know I did!"

"Ahh well I tried to but they all said my face looked weird." Neon took on a confused expression at that. Then she closely observed his face for a minute looking at many angles. "Uhh…. Are you okay Neo-" Jaune was stopped as she put a finger to his lips. When she was finally done she still held that confused expression.

"I'm not really sure what they mean. You look pretty normal to me. Maybe they are jealous of your blonde hair? Not a lot of people in Atlas have blond hair. Mostly black, brown, or even red here and there." Neon was very unsure about the problem her friend had. Jaune didn't think it was his hair at all since no one mentioned it. Did they make fun of his face because of that? That would be weird. "Hmm. Maybe it's not the hair. That wouldn't make any sense so, It has to be your eyes!"

"What do you mean my eyes? I don't think anything is wrong with them." Neon just shrugged, she was making a wild guess.

"Maybe to them your eyes look scary? I don't know, they look okay to me. Well anyway, we don't need to worry about that right now. There was this really funny thing that one of the boys did. You see, Tyr, another of the boys, got it in his head that..." Neon then talked about her day the whole ride and Jaune was okay with listening. He would have been a little more bothered about how much fun she had if her smile didn't show how happy she was. He didn't want to stop seeing his first friend's smile.

Jaune's mother had just finished cleaning the dishes after her friend left. She had a great time catching up with her friend. It had been years since she was able to do so. Just as she was about to check the time she heard a knock at the door. "Oh, that must be Jaune! It is right around the time he would be on the bus. I wonder if his day has been as nice as mine."

The woman opened the door and saw her son waving at the bus. He had a smile on his face before turning towards her and hugging her. "Mom! It's so great to be back home! C'mon let's go inside, I'm hungry and I wanna tell you something." Jaune's mom let him inside the house and followed him. Though she did see who he was waving at. A girl his age with orange hair, bright green eyes, and a big smile. In short, she was a cute girl. And that was probably one of her son's new friends.

Inside they sat on the same rocking chair with Jaune on her lap just as they always did. "So sweetie how was your day at school? Was it exciting?! Did you make any friends?"

Jaune's expression turned to a gloomy one. "For some reason, no one wanted to be near me. All of them said I had a scary face! But I don't think it looks that way." That confused his mother. Her son look very normal to her, she didn't see what any of those kids meant. Then Jaune piped up with a happy tone in his voice. "But I did make one friend! And she said my face was okay so I don't know what those other kids mean. Her name is Neon, and she is really nice and uhh… happy all the time. Or bouncy I guess." His mother guessed that this Neon was the girl he was waving to.

She patted his head, happy that he made at least one friend. "Well, I hope you make more. You have five or so years there so you have a lot of people to meet. Maybe you'll have your own group of friends by the end of it."

Her son ecstatically agreed with her before remembering something important. He got off her lap and went to his backpack, bringing a paper out. "I almost forgot you gotta sign this for my teacher. He said something about getting your number for emergency cards? I don't remember but here!" His mom took the paper and read it carefully. It was so they could call her in case something happened at the school. She wrote down the needed information including her name.

Glynda Goodwitch. Relation to child: Mother. Current Occupation: Emergency Dispatcher. Previous Occupation: Atlesian Captain.

* * *

In the home of Jaune and his mother Glynda, the news could be heard playing from their TV. An 11-year-old Jaune was sitting on their couch focusing on what the reporter was saying. Meanwhile, Glynda finished putting away some leftover food. "-nd thanks to Atlas's new aircraft built for better control and faster speed, coupled with their new Rapid Response Squad they were able to save this local village. It was reported from the village patrolmen that a horde of Beowolves led by a powerful and ancient Grimm was leading an attack. The new experimental aircraft, nicknamed "The Bullet", got the team there within 2 hours after being called." Glynda sat next to her son as the reporter moved onto the next story.

"Wow, Atlas just keep improving every year. It's crazy how many new upgrades and inventions are made every month now. Especially with the military." Jaune's mother smiled at his appreciation and praise for Atlas. She too was surprised how their beloved Kingdom kept improving with time. "I've even heard about them building Androids that can take the place of those in the mines. A lot of accidents happen down there so this would be well appreciated by those from Mantle." Glynda agreed the job with the most openings was work in the dust mines. A lot of Faunus took it since they were physically stronger than humans most of the time, but most importantly because all Faunus have superior night vision to humans, allowing them to see clearer in the tunnels.

"That's why I believe Atlas will take Remnant to new heights! Over the years they have improved so much. Especially in technology and robotics, it's truly amazing what our scientists can do with cures and medicine as well." The other Kingdoms were able to gain some of the same benefits and technology as well. It was through the trade agreements that the Kings had signed, allowing technology and knowledge to flow from the advanced Kingdom.

"Besides all that sweetie are you finished with that school project yet? You need to have it done by tomorrow." Jaune's interest and mood turned sour immediately. Glynda noticed and wondered why. He never had a problem with schoolwork at all. In fact, he did very well even getting 90-100 percent on all tests and outstanding grades in all classes. "Is something wrong? Do you need help?"

Jaune shook his head and put on a smile to calm his mother. "No, it's fine I can do it easily. It's just that this one is a little difficult. I can get it done though! Anyways I'll get on that right now. See you later tonight mom." His mother watched as he walked upstairs to his room. He loved his mom but there were some things he couldn't tell her. Her worried green eyes closely examined his posture. She would take him out soon for a day, just the two of them. That would take his mind off of whatever he was worried about.

Sitting in his room with the project in front of him, he talked to himself. "Middle school isn't all that I imagined it would be. I thought it would be different, I would start anew and gain some friends. But, my face still seems to scare people away. Anyone that I think can be my friend is just there to get my help on their homework or something. I hope I can at least make one friend. It's really lonely out there." Jaune muttered before he shut off his thoughts of school and moved to finish the project. It was a cardboard model of Mantle, which was Atlas's neighboring city.

The city of Mantle was where a lot of the civilians had settled down. It was the safest place in Solitas only second to Atlas itself. A lot of veterans stayed here just because of the familiarity. Jaune got to work on the project; it was simple and he would finish it in no time. He just dreaded bringing it to school tomorrow.

Sitting all the way in the back of the bus was his best option. He didn't want his project to be ruined in any way. That also meant he would have to be careful of where he went. He really didn't want to deal with them.

* * *

So far his day was going along okay. His last class was going to be where he presented his cardboard model of Mantle. He only had two more classes before he got there. All he had to do was avoi-

"Hey dead-eyes, didn't think you could run away from us all day, did you? Nah, it was only a matter of time before we found you, teacher's pet." There they were. His bullies.

He was told by his teachers that he was very smart for his age. Sometimes he could answer some questions that even his teachers couldn't answer. This led to a lot of the students distancing themselves from him. It was damn near impossible to make friends now. These bullies were among those who felt inferior to him and they took it out on him. One thing he hated about school, was that it reminded him about his body. The main bully, Zac, always destroyed anything he had, and he couldn't do anything to fight back. Jaune was just too physically weak.

The blonde boy shielded his project as best he could. He knew, though, that the bully would destroy it regardless.

"What's that, huh? Oh, that your homework? Some project or something?" Jaune didn't respond. He knew the bully would do something either way. No, he was busy looking at where to run. "Hmm. That looks like Mantle. It actually looks pretty nice too." A cruel grin stretched across the bully's face. He walked closer to Jaune. "I wonder how much your grade would go down if I were to break this. I mean, it wouldn't matter much though. You are just such a damn good student, right?"

No matter how many times they messed with his property he couldn't retaliate. They did everything short of beating him. At this point Jaune was surrounded; he was done for and he knew it. "You think you're fucking smarter than us, don't you? Well no matter how much of a genius you are, you'll still be weaker than us!" The bully wasted no time and aimed a punch at Jaune's face. He had been focusing hard on that hand, so he was able to scrape past it, throwing the project at the bully's face. He tried to run but the other bullies grabbed him and slammed him on the ground, banging his head against the floor.

Jaune nearly went unconscious after his head hit the cement ground. He could vaguely hear the bully and his friends dragging him somewhere. When he fully woke up, it was to get a kick in the side of the head. 'Crap, that h-hurts. What t-the I-is that blood?' Jaune could feel it come from his nose.

"You think you can act all smug because of your grades! You don't even look human, your face suits the body of a robot more than that of a human." Jaune looked at the bully with the same blank yet intimidating face he always had.

"You think picking on me makes you any stronger? No. It just shows how weak you are, p-picking on someone weaker and smarter than you, du-." That earned him a kick to the stomach alongside a few kicks to his back, knocking the breath out of his lungs. Nevertheless, Jaune continued when he was able. "You won't make it in Atlas because they would never find you suitable for any respectable jobs. Instead, you'll be cleaning shit off the walls in the bathroom!"

"Shut up! You think you could be a soldier? You probably couldn't lift a gun to save your life! I have more of a chance of fighting and being useful than you do!"

Jaune smirked through the pain and said something that made the bully go off: "You wouldn't last a month in the military, much less a second against any Grimm."

Jaune would remember for years the senseless beating that followed immediately after this insult. It went on for what felt like hours. They stomped his face, beat and kicked his stomach. And finally, they left him on the ground, bruised and bleeding. His mouth leaked blood as well as his nose. His ears were ringing and he was yet again barely conscious.

As the bullies turned to leave, they heard the boy on the ground chuckling softly to himself despite the pain. Confused, the leader stooped down and grabbed Jaune's hair, yanking his face up to sneer at him. "And what's so damn funny shitstain?"

Jaune, in a moment of inspiration, spat at his tormentor, getting him right in the eyes with a bloody ball of saliva. Immediately his head was dropped and his eyes flashed out white as he banged against the floor again, laying limp as his head felt like somebody had mistaken it for an egg and tried to crack it.

He heard angry footsteps, and Jaune knew he just painted an even bigger red mark on his back, but at that moment, he couldn't care.

He hated it. He hated these bullies. He hated how he was so physically weak, he could barely manage a single pull-up. But mostly, he just hated his own helplessness. The last thing he felt was a swift kick to his head before everything went dark.

* * *

Jaune woke up alone, bloodstains on his shirt and in pain. He hoped that someone would have helped him, he should have known that wouldn't happen. The staff here don't care about anything besides the grades a student got. Anything outside of that didn't matter. Other kids were bullied just like him, he saw it and yet he couldn't do much to stop it. Every time he did he would end up being beaten, the victim would not help him either, they wouldn't even say thanks.

It was backwards, nothing made sense to young Jaune. But, he had gotten used to it, he had to.

He tried to fix himself up as best he could before going home. Luckily school had ended just as he woke up. He limped to the bus in complete silence. The ride home he was replaying the event in his mind. He couldn't get it out of his head no matter what.

When he arrived home he knocked on the door waiting for his mother. Just before the door opened he pulled his hood over his head, he didn't want her to see what happened to him. "Jaune! Hey, welcome back-" He didn't look at his mother and quickly made his way to his room. "Jaune!" The beaten blonde stopped in his tracks. That tone of voice of hers, she had something important to say. "Jaune…. I know that we haven't had a lot of time together lately. And… I apologize for that, I've been quite busy with work. Soon enough though… I will have a couple of days off. We can spend it together going anywhere you want, eating whatever you want and a lot more. So, you just need to wait a while longer, I promise sweetie. I love you."

Jaune still didn't look at her, "I… love you too mom." His hands turned into fists and he clenched them hard as he walked into his room. He sat on his bed and was silent for a whole minute. During that silence, numerous thoughts ran through his head.

'I've never done anything to deserve this treatment. I never hurt anyone, I obeyed the rules, I respected my fellow classmates and teachers. In the end, they all spat in my face. It doesn't matter anymore. I'll become a soldier of Atlas and rise to the top. I don't need friends to do that and I don't need to be around people for that either. Fuck them all.'

Then his eyes started to water, but he didn't shed a tear. Jaune laid down and went to sleep with a clearer mind. In order to reach his goal, he would have to do it alone.


	2. Second Chance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Any of you know about Yousei Teikoku? Great band and amazing singer. Or what about the soundtrack from that one game Asura's Wrath. It's really badass. Just my thoughts at the moment.

The monochrome classroom did nothing to help Jaune's current mood. He was now 15 years old and in high school. Currently Jaune along with many other students were taking a very important test. The complete silence in the room aside from the incessant scratching of lead as it was scraped against paper clearly indicated that fact. A hundred questions were lying in wait for the examinees and yet after only 15 minutes Jaune had already answered 45 or so questions. He was almost doing them mindlessly, his hand working absently to take the information from his head and place it neatly within the assigned boxes like clockwork.

Twenty minutes later, he was the first to finish. He got up, walked to the teachers desk and turned it in. He felt many eyes on him but it didn't matter. Right now he was busy remembering the sudden events that occurred yesterday morning. His mother had been called back to the military after all.

* * *

_ Jaune sat there on the couch as his mom finished explaining why she was leaving him. He was devastated and beyond worried. Any time he got to be alone with his mom were cherished, nowadays because of him hiding a lot of his problems it wasn't often he talked with her. He regretted it now. He wanted to spend all of his free time with her now. When he came back home they went out to an amusement park, really the only one in Atlas.  _

_ It made it so much harder when he left for school. "M-mother I wish you didn't h-have to d-do this." Jaune had tears in his eyes as he hugged his mother in the living room. She stroked his hair and shed a tear as well.  _

_ "I know Jaune, I know. I promise I'll come back. Atlas will win and I'll come back and we can have a little vacation to ourselves. Okay?" Jaune nodded with his face against her chest. His mother wasn't weak, she was powerful, she would come back. That still didn't erase the unease he felt. _

_ "I love you mom, When you come back I'll be stronger and I'll be the one to protect and take care of you!" Jaune looked up at her with eyes full of undying determination. Glynda smiled at her son's unsaid promise. She was truly blessed to have a child like her beloved Jaune. He was strong, reliable, independent, and caring. There was so much more to him she probably didn't know. That's why it hurt her so much when she told him the news. She never intended to be called back to the military. Never did she see this happening but duty calls. Her duty now, was to protect the home that Jaune resides in. Their home. _

* * *

Remembering that moment was painful but he knew she was going to be fine. He just had to do his part and get through high school first. He aced every class except the physical ones. Those he did well enough and he felt very proud of that. Though he knew that it wasn't enough. He was going to become an Atlesian Soldier and protect his Kingdom. For that he would need to pass the requirements at the very least. Jaune shook his head; he didn't need to worry about that now. 

The ringing bell took Jaune out of class and on to his next one. He didn't think about anything in particular. He was just walking to his next class with the intention of planning a better schedule for himself. His mom would be in the War for a long time, until she came back he would have to care for himself. 

He still remembered the day the War was announced. It was only one day after their King had been assassinated by Mistral. It seems that some people still held grudges from "The Great War". Everyone knew about the pure destruction that was caused with all Kingdoms involved in battle. He only hoped this would just stay between Atlas and Mistral.

His mother was out there fighting when she should have been enjoying the rest of her days in peace. He had to step things up. For her. Jaune's thoughts were interrupted as he bumped into someone's shoulder. He glanced at the person and apologized as he continued walking. He could hear the whispers of other students while they were passing by.

None of it mattered to him. His attention was focused on the next class.

* * *

Jaune was calmly walking out of his last class and towards the school exit. To Jaune it was just one of many more days to come in the school year. That was until he heard someone yell at him. It was a familiar voice.

"Dead eyes! You fucking bastard!" Jaune didn't even pause to look at the bully before responding.

"So you made it past Junior high. Impressive, then again with a family as wealthy as yours you could go anywhere." Jaune's attention was now fully directed to his bully. Jaune was honestly surprised that Zac was at the same high school he attended. He had been here for a couple months or so and he had never seen Zac during that time. The bully's face grew even more frustrated at the insult. 

"Ya know dead eyes, when I left you on the ground back then, I should have finished the job. But that's okay, no need to worry Jaune I still got a trick up my sleeve." The look on Zac's face was sinister. He was clearly up to something but Jaune couldn't do anything about it. At the moment he would just have to watch his back around Zac. 

"Hm, whatever you try to do me won't matter. In fact, you don't really matter to Atlas either. It's just your father's money that matters to them."

Zac's eyes widened while his body got even more tense. "You fucking walking corpse. You really think you'll end up doing something important in life! You are just a walking stick with a brain. Without your intelligence you are nothing. Your face makes you look dead and your body is too weak to lift more than a small branch. You aren't worth anything in this world!"

Jaune was unfazed and immediately shot back.

"You know, I don't usually care about insults and I still don't in this situation. But it's made me think a bit about what I think of you. To be honest Zac if you go into the War you will just be another body on the battlefield. The only worth you have to Atlas is your tall and sturdy body. You're really, just a perfect meat shield. Nothing else." Jaune left immediately after he spoke his piece. He didn't hear his bully say anything. He didn't really hear him make a noise. He didn't care about it anymore either. He was ready for anything Zac threw at him.

* * *

A week passed and nothing major happened to Jaune. That incident seemed to have just been a scare tactic against Jaune. With that information known, he continued his daily life in highschool. He was hoping that soon he would get an invitation letter from Atlas Academy. He was sure with him being the golden apple of his school they would recommend him to Atlas. His whole future would be assured the moment he gets that invite.

But as Jaune was walking out of school once again he heard something hit the ground close to him. He looked to the right of him and saw some kind of object on the ground. He walked a little closer to see what it was. Then he saw a student step out from behind a wall nearby and rush him. He was in to react fast enough, the end result was a strike to the gut. He was completely blindsided by the attack. His attacker used that moment and immediately covered his mouth and dragged him behind the nearest school building.

It was a cold and calculated attacked that had been planned perfectly. Jaune should have seen this coming. He instantly knew that Zac was behind this. He was the only one who could or would do this without getting caught during the day. There was no way a teacher or guard didn't see this happen. Jaune was the schools golden apple but it seemed as though money was still far more valuable.

"I bet you thought I was done with you huh? Well dead eyes, you were wrong for once. Not once have you beaten me in a fight. So I thought about ruining your future. But that would be spoiling what I have in store for your emotionless act. I'll just begin, actions speak louder than words after all!" Zac then picked Jaune up punched him in the face. Jaune's head was thrown back from the punch. Again. And again, and again. Jaune's lip was busted and he was bleeding from his nose by the 12th punch. He felt a great deal of pain and with the force Zac used it lingered after every punch. His bully was relentless and completely uncaring of his pain. Though he was very specific on where exactly he hit.

Jaune tried to think of a way out of his situation but he was helpless once again. He couldn't believe it. No matter how much effort he put into his body it would always stay the same. It wasn't fair. All of his efforts were in vain and this pitiful beating showed that to him. Jaune decided to act in defiance once again, just like before with blood painting Zac's face.

Just like last time he spat blood in the face of his attacker and just like last time he was dropped. With what little strength he had, Jaune attempted to get up and run from the bully. But it was a futile struggle; his body was already weakened. It was too late. 

Jaune's eyes shot open as he felt Zac stomp on one of his legs. Before Jaune could move a finger Zac stomped once again on his lower back. Then he felt a sharp kick to his ribs. It was repeated three times before he stopped. Jaune was almost sure Zac cracked a few ribs. He could feel tears in his eyes, the pain was much more than he had ever felt.

"You fucking waste of space, spitting in my face again. To hell with any consequences! I'm going to fucking break you!" 

The next moment Jaune's left arm was lifted up by Zac.

***Crack***

"Gaaaaaaaah!" Jaune felt what had to be the most painful feeling he had ever felt in his life. His arm had been broken. The pain was too much for him and he screamed. 

The rest was a blur for Jaune. He heard shouting and saw what he thought were people coming towards him. He felt himself being picked up some time later. There were some bumps along the way and the last thing he remembered was the color white.

* * *

White. The color white filled his vision once again. Jaune attempted to move and quickly found that his left arm was bound by something. After a few seconds his vision finally cleared up and he saw a cast around his arm. There was a strange smell in the air too. Observing the area, it was clear to him that he was in the hospital. Going through his memories he knew why he was here. 

He was ambushed by his longtime bully Zac. He lost the fight and was beaten and bruised. And lastly his arm had snapped like a twig.

Jaune sat in silence with many thoughts roaming around in his mind. It wasn't too long before he realized that he wouldn't be able to achieve his dream of fighting for Atlas. But for some reason he didn't feel bad about it. He did feel anger and frustration of course but it was more directed towards himself. No matter how hard he trained it was never enough. His body was already weak, now with his arm having broken well…. It wouldn't take much more force than before to break it again. Not to mention he was sure his bone had popped out of his elbow. It wouldn't be as strong as before anyways, and it would likely hinder him in battle more than anything.

Jaune's thoughts were interrupted as the door opened and someone walked in. The woman did not wear the uniform of any nurses he had ever seen. In fact she wore pretty casual clothing. She had long snow white hair tied into a ponytail. Her bright blue eyes focused on him. Jaune assessed that she was about as old as his mom maybe a year or so older. She also seemed very familiar. He wondered who she was. 

"Oh, so you're awake now. That's great, it's been some time since you have arrived here." The woman had a little smile on her face along with a calm and soothing voice.

"How long have I been here?"

The pale white haired woman sat in a chair next to the bed before responding. "It's been around 8 hours since you came here. They quickly fixed your arm as best they could and made sure you were asleep the whole time. Any other questions?" Jaune had many questions.

"Hm, well who are you and why do you care about me at all? I don't think my mother has ever mentioned you before." The woman's expression changed after my questions. But she answered nonetheless.

"My name is Willow Schnee and your mother is a precious friend of mine. I think that answers why I care about you. Though I'm sure you've heard of me from time to time." Jaune's eyes widened at her answer. He had heard his mother, mention her once in a while but he never heard the name. He did however know the Schnees. Everyone in Atlas knew who they were. They own the largest Dust Company in all of Remnant. It was hard to escape their side products as well. "I see that you recognize me."

"Well only because you are a Schnee. Though mother did talk about you sometimes. She never mentioned your name so I apologise that I did not know it." Willow laughed a bit and continued with speaking.

"I see Glynda has taught you well. Your manners are splendid. Though I should continue." The Schnee sighed and her mood had once again changed. "I paid the bill so you won't have to worry about it. Your arm is normally functional now though it will likely not be as strong as before."

Jaune asked about Zac and what happened to him.

"He has been expelled from the school and will be in special classes from now on. No one needs to worry about him anymore."

Jaune was a bit relieved at that fact. 

"Oh, well what about my mother. Has she been informed about the incident? If she has I know I am going to get an earful about it." Then he felt his mother's friend grab his hand. He noticed that she wasn't looking him in the eye anymore. 

"As for your mother… I'm sorry Jaune but she has fallen in battle." 

"Hm, you must be joking here right? No. No you wouldn't Joke something like that." Willow felt Jaune's hand go limp. He stopped looking at her and instead had his eyes stare at the wall in front of him. She could see his mouth open and close like he was trying to find something to say.

"I received the news yesterday. She will be receiving a proper burial in two days. If you need me to stay here and comfort you the-"

"No. I-I want to be a-alone right now please. Give me some time t-to myself."

Willow nodded and followed his wishes. She walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. She wasn't sure how he would react so she didn’t go far. Tears appeared in her eyes once again as she heard him begin to cry. The pain was clear in his voice. It was truly disheartening to hear him in such a state. The Jaune that Glynda spoke so much of with a truly happy expression every time. The Jaune that she held in her arms when Glynda allowed her to. The Jaune that was now filled with pain. 

Willow could only comfort him and help him get through this dark time in his life. Willow only now knew the joys of parenthood. She could only imagine how Glynda would have reacted if she saw Jaune like this. As a fellow mother Willow knew she would have held  _ her _ little girl with all her might.

After some time she heard the crying and sniffing come to an end. She opened the door and found that Jaune had cried himself to sleep. His expression was that of true sorrow. But at least he would be able to rest for now. Willow thought to adopt him but by the law he was old enough to live alone. She also knew he would most likely want be alone right now. While it pained her she would let it happen. But it didn't mean she would ignore him. No, now she would visit him at least once a week if not more when she had the time. She would also provide for Jaune financially. She had to help Jaune as much as she could now that her friend couldn't.

Willow had already cried her eyes out and yet the fact that she would never see Glynda again was still getting to her. Glynda really was the only normal person she could converse with. 

She was her best friend, the best thing Willow could do for her was to take care of her son. With that thought in mind she took her seat beside Jaune and held onto his hand. He would be home by tomorrow and rest for a few days before going back to school. It was the best thing to do right now.

* * *

Jaune had been released just as Willow had told him when he woke up again. She also recommended for him to take some time off before going back to school. He chose to ignore it, he still had to make use of his time there. When his mother came back… When he graduated he still had to become a soldier… He needed to finish school. That's all. That's the only reason he needed, nothing else. In class he did his work and had nothing to do. He didn't want to think, if he did his thoughts would wander to things he didn't want to remember.

He was surprised when the teacher called for him. "You have been called to the principal's office. She said there was someone who wanted to talk to you."

Jaune took the slip and made his way to his destination. This hadn't happened very often so he still wasn't sure why he would be called to the principal's office. Whatever the reason he knew it would more than likely be to his benefit. Jaune was surprised to find that the principal was not present. Only a man that was well known throughout Atlas. He wore a white overcoat, with a gray undercoat, black sweater, a red necktie and a white glove on his right hand. His suit pants share the same color as his overcoat and are tucked into silver boots accented in gray. His hair was black, with some silver and gray streaks, while his eyebrows were solid black.

He was James Ironwood, the current Headmaster of Atlas Academy as well as the General of the Atlesian army. Many thoughts raced inside Jaune's mind and none of them seemed to be the most likely reason. He still had two years to go before finishing high school. There was no way Ironwood was here to invite him to the academy. But If that wasn't it then he wasn't sure of the reason. Regardless he greeted the General with a salute. Ironwood did the same and spoke first.

"If you're wondering about the school principal. I told her I wanted to meet with you one on one. Now, I was able to fit an hour for this meeting in my schedule so I will get straight to the point. Your grades have shown to be that of high scores with the majority being perfect. Your goal has been to join the Atlesian military, though with your recent…  _ incident _ , that isn't possible." My right hand was the only part of me that reacted to that. I had to restrain myself. It's only the truth. "Lastly, you are now an orphan of war." Jaune noticed Ironwood's eyes soften, but he didn't need someone's pity. "And, I knew your mother." That got Jaune's attention. How did James Ironwood the General know his mother?

Ironwood gestured to Jaune to take a seat. They both sat across each other before the Headmaster continued his sentence. "Believe it or not I used to work with her. We completed many missions together. Then when she became a part of search and rescue we ran into each other during many disasters. She was a brave, strong, and loving woman. She was also very vocal about me jumping straight into burning buildings."

Jaune could see that Headmaster Ironwood was telling the truth. But it didn't matter; this was a waste of time so far. "If I may, Headmaster Ironwood what does this have to do with me? I don't mean to be rude but there was a reason you called me correct?" 

"Yes there is indeed a reason. I have looked at your files very extensively and I have come to one conclusion. Your potential to be a soldier is higher than many other soldiers I have seen before. In fact you could very well be a legend in the future."

"But now that my arm is br-"

"Broken, you can't fight anymore. Yes. However, what if I were to tell you that I could not only fix you but make you better?"

Jaune's expression changed to that of disbelief and shock. There was no way someone like Headmaster Ironwood could lie about something like that. But Jaune knew an offer like that had to have some catch.

"I'm sure you're thinking about some kind of downside to this. There is, and it's a big one. This upgrade has a 50% chance of failing and killing you. Just so you are informed there are also others who seek to improve themselves."

Ironwood read his mind. He knew something like this was too good to be true. But it was his only chance to fight for his mother's Kingdom.

His mother was dead, it was hard to accept and he was sure it would be in his head for a while. But he was also sure his mother didn't want him to suffer like this. The next best thing for him to do was to risk his life to live how he wanted. He wanted to live protecting his Kingdom and his mother's home.

Ironwood instantly knew Jaune's answer when he saw the look in the boys eyes: "I agree, give me another chance to serve My Kingdom."

Ironwood smiled and they shook hands. 

_ 'This is the most I can do for your son, Glynda. I know in my heart that he will survive the experiment and become one of the best protectors of Atlas. Our Kingdom.' _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know I did writing it though it was pretty difficult. I like the way it came out. Of course that is thanks to both of my Beta Readers. 
> 
> This chapter here as you will see is Jaune's backstory. This is why we go through his childhood really quickly as well as him as a teen. Chapter 3 and onwards will be the present time. From there on we will follow Jaune's journey in the harsh Kingdom of Atlas. 
> 
> I would like if you commented or reviewed this chapter. That makes me want to write more and quicker. I will also address the reviews that already exist at the end of each chapter. I've decided this so you can just read the chapter as soon as possible. 
> 
> That's all I really want to say so…. Until the next chapter!


	3. Revealing The Reality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the very long wait but here is the 3rd chapter of For My Kingdom. Worry not however, you will not have to wait for the next one too long. That one should be much simpler to write than this, that said it won't be less entertaining I assure you.
> 
> Enjoy.

_ '196.. 197.. 198.. 199.. 200 Finally!' _ Jaune had finished his workout session for the day. Getting up from the crunches position he started walking back to his house. He only had about one more day before his next mission.  _ 'Man, that damn council is really tough and needy with me. I know I'm the only one to survive the project and I know the impact I need to make on our enemy but it's a bit much. Even I need to rest once in a while.' _

Atlas still looked the same, snow-white, busy and alive.  _ 'Well, that's what it looks like but that's not what it feels like.' _ Crossing through the near-empty streets and observing the dark and almost abandoned homes left him feeling a bit sad. Learning about the effects of war from school was depressing but witnessing it firsthand was different. He determined that the dream for a peaceful future would have to be on the back burner for a while. But he promised his mother that he would preserve Atlas. In fact, he wanted to go a step further and bring that peace after the current War. 

He knew that it was pretty much an impossible dream but he had to try. Even if he failed and only created a false peace that would eventually break. Even that, was better than these silent and despondent nights. Jaune could only hear his own footsteps and sometimes, doors from the surrounding apartment's opening and closing. Yeah, anything was better than this.

He supposed that was mostly because he was in the poorer part of Atlas, but he knew that even this place was just as lively before the War. In the end, all of this was the result of the War. 

Before his mind was allowed to wander again he saw something or someone across the street.  _ 'Woah, is that? Is that Neon over there? I wonder who she's waiting for? I don't really want to stick my nose into her business but since she is a…friend, so I guess I can lend a hand. I certainly have the time.' _ Flickering his gaze both ways, he crossed the street. Checking on her again he saw her sitting on a bench in front of a few stores with a gloomy expression.  _ 'Hm. I'm only doing this because she has helped me a couple of times before. Even if I didn't actually need help.' _

"Hello, Neon." She didn't answer, on closer inspection Jaune found that she was staring into the distance. He tried again just a little louder. "Hello! Neon!" It didn't work once again. This time Jaune decided to yank her tail.

"Ow! What the hell? Wha- Jaune why the hell did you pull my tail like that? You know how sensitive it is. Just damn well say hello." 

"That is exactly why I pulled your tail. Anyway, I was calling your name but you weren't answering me. To think, I was going out of my way to be friendly." Neon still held her tail but she smiled at his antics. Jaune was still unsure as to how to help her since he didn't know the problem. That's why he just asked directly.

"Hmph! Besides the abuse you put me through, how are you doing? On your way home from your usual routine?" One part that Jaune found interesting about Neon was how she seemed to genuinely care for him. He often found that many people just carried a kind facade, in reality they only talked to him for information or business in the military. He supposed trying to avoid people and soloing the majority of his missions helped that. Neon was the only one who managed to make him tolerate her presence.

"Yeah, just like usual. That isn't really important though, what about you? You seemed a bit down and looked as though you were waiting here for someone." Immediately her usually energetic personality calmed down. Jaune knew she would either completely shut down or tell him. Well, that was what he learned through his training but Neon was different. She would always tell him the truth.

"Ah, yeah, well...I was, but they didn't show up. This has to be the fourth time this has happened to me." Neon laid her head onto her hands as she looked towards the ground. From what Jaune remembered she worked with many hunters as a Huntress. That led to her want to have a romantic relationship with some of them. The n , in general. But none have stuck with her.

"Why does no one ever stick around?"

"Maybe you just aren't attractive or interesting enough?" Neon looked at Jaune with a shocked face. Jaune didn't see why, since it was just a guess. Maybe she agreed?

"Jaune! You're supposed to be on my side and say something like, 'Oh well maybe they just weren't the right guy if they don't see how amazing and incredibly beautiful you are!' And then I get cheered up and you take me on a date since I'm all mopey and you're a good friend."

"Hm. No, that doesn't really make sense." Neon's fists tightened and her expression morphed into one of irritation as Jaune continued. "I will never lie unless I'm ordered to do so by any of ny superiors. In order to nail that home, I will always tell you what I truly think. Especially Becau-" 

"Okay, okay I get it. Let's just go to a nearby restaurant, I'm hungry and sad and you're not helping." Neon put her head back onto her hands again. Jaune may have possibly forgotten about helping his "friend" in the normal way. He just told her what he was thinking and she sometimes didn't appreciate that. Either way, they went to her favorite restaurant, she spent her time eating and complaining about her love life to Jaune. He was very much annoyed but he stood through it. As a good friend would. At least, he thought a good friend would.

Luckily enough, the conversation they had in the restaurant was standard enough. How have you been doing on your missions? How goes the training? How long do you think the War will go on? Other subjects like that followed, letting Neon catch up on what Jaune had spent his time doing between their last meeting and then.. As Neon almost finished her food she asked him a question.

"Hey, do you remember when we reconnected with each other? That was pretty crazy huh?" Neon was smiling and decided to start reminiscing about the past. Jaune had remembered that day. It was the first mission he had ever gone on after all, not to mention that he had partnered with the famous RRS. 

He remembered it, even though it was a year ago or so that it had happened. Hopefully he remembered just where it started…..

* * *

_ One Year Ago _

* * *

Jaune was very nervous, this was his first mission, to be more precise it was his first real mission. He had gone through simulations during his training. The council, however, informed him that there were many possible variables that even the simulations couldn't calculate. Jaune just had to use his training and the environment he was in to get through this. 

It was a bit of an honor to fight beside the very popular RRS in this mission. Jaune greeted them with a standard handshake and salute. They were surprisingly friendly with one another, **_and so_** he was as polite as possible to them. He would be working with them on this mission, no need to have their communication be disrupted by any awkwardness. They spent a few more moments conversing before the team was informed to move towards the briefing room and wait for the leader.

The leader of the squad was the last to board the "Bullet". He looked at  me for a few moments, his gaze searching from my boots to my face, then turned to his squad. 

"Alright team, we got a rescue mission on our hands. We haven't had one in a while but I expect us to get it done successfully." The man moved to the table and grabbed a document, slipping it open with practised ease and distributing the documents across the table.

"The target in question is a Huntress, she is named Neon Katt. She is also, currently in the middle of a firefight with many Mistralians. She was sent to a nearby village in order to protect it from a Grimm horde, standard Huntress stuff. Unfortunately for her, a platoon of Mistralians ambushed her while attempting to take the village. We can't have them taking this village, it's close to an armory of ours and we can't take a hit on that." 

"Any idea on how many asshats we gotta face?" One of the members asked ecstatically. She was an interesting one, everyone had their weapons prepared and out of them all, he found hers the most interesting. From what he could see there seemed to be some robotic fists folded on her back. They are most likely used to enhance her upper body strength.

"Nothing specific, but Intel says it's around 30 or so hostiles. Now, since this is a joint mission I will assign your roles." This was the point where Jaune had to make sure not to mess up. The others were ready, and yet they were relaxed at the same time. He picked up his weapons and readied them. He still didn't have a specific weapon of his. He just carried a standard Atlesian double sided sword and Assault Rifle.

Regardless of that, Jaune knew that in the end his skill and application of his training would be the deciding factor in the mission. Jaune was tapped on the shoulder, reminding him that the leader was still talking.

"Mr Goodwitch, I hope you've been paying attention. This mission is important, though the consequences of losing may be small at the moment, in time it will matter to the overall war."

"I understand, and I have been listening, sir! It's just the fact that this is my first mission and I haven't gotten much experience aside from the simulations."

The man picked out another sheaf of paper from the document and focused back on Jaune. "From what I've read on the file the council gave me, you'll do fine. Just follow my orders and this mission will be done in no time! Now for our positions….."

* * *

Now Jaune and the RRS were nearing their drop-off. The leader had said it was better if they took the targets down from the rear. Getting into the firefight wouldn't help anyone, but taking as many of them down before they were spotted was the best option. Jaune had been given a different objective, the squad would engage and distract the largest group of hostiles after their initial strike, meanwhile he would head into the village. From there on, he had to take down any targets that continued hounding the Huntress, the Mistralians would probably split their forces to focus on the Huntress and the squad.

It was a solid plan, Jaune could take quite the beating and he could dish it out as well. With all that said he was waiting at the exit, prepared for the upcoming battle. They only had 5 minutes until they arrived at their destination. They would land a good distance away so as not to be seen by the enemy.

The only thing going through Jaune's mind was the Huntress they were rescuing. He could swear he had heard her name somewhere. When he took a look at her picture it only made him think about her more. She looked so familiar to him, but he wasn't really sure where he could have possibly seen her.

"Hey, rookie." One of the RRS members said before tapping on Jaune's shoulder and nabbing his attention. The person was a female with a more muscular body than the rest. Her brown hair, eyes, and skin were regular enough in Atlas. Though, the specialized hammer she wielded was most definitely not.

"Our leader said you'll be fine! So quit acting so damn nervous."

"Oh, sorry if I was that obvious about it. I did try just as the leader said but it isn't that easy for me."

"If that is the case, then you will have to wait until we land." Another associate of the RRS joined in the little chat. This one was a male and quite a strange one. He was completely pale, had short grey hair, and had some tattoos on the center of his forehead. He was also very tall, the girl was also tall as well, Jaune was pretty tall too but compared to them he felt small.

"What do you mean by that? By that point, I don't think anything would change, at least not significantly."

"Trust me when I say that starting the mission will make a tremendous difference. You have been trained for years and you have gone through the simulations expertly. Your nerves may be shaky now but once we land, you would likely progress through the mission rather smoothly."

"Hm, well I guess so. With you guys, we should get through no problem. Y-yeah actually you are probably right, once we land everything could change for the better." The tall man nodded in agreement, he was very polite. The woman, on the other hand, smacked him on the back before shouting.

"That's the spirit rookie! With the Ace Operatives by your side there is no way you can lose!"

"Ace Operatives? But I thought you were the famous RRS?" The woman smiled and patted Jaune's shoulder before answering.

"We are, but I'm trying to get the name changed. Being the RRS is kinda boring, the Ace Operatives sound so much better. Right, Zeki?"

"I agree, it will make it easier to identify our squad specifically."

For the next couple of minutes they talked about minor things in life. Jaune didn't say much but he enjoyed the conversation nonetheless.

"Oh! Before I forget, my name is Elm Ederne, one of the highest-rated Ace Operatives. Nice to meetcha!"

"And I'm Vine Zeki, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I wish you the best of luck." Jaune smiled and nodded to them. They were friendly and respectful to him, definitely the model soldiers for Atlas.

"My name is Jaune Goodwitch and I agree, it is an honor to meet you both."

Everyone had finally reached their destination and were quickly deployed. Once they all landed, the leader rounded them all up for a quick group talk.

Their orders were simple, mark your targets, confirm with the others and begin the initial strike. In other words, hit them first and hard. Jaune was alone but he had already gotten a spot from a sniper. A few of the members were settled in as well, only one was left and it happened to be Elm. It seemed as though she was having trouble getting a good view.

"C'mon Elm, we are waiting here, and so is that Huntress."

"I know but I can't find a good spot around here. Shit, ya know what? Just shoot already, I can take care of whoever is left!"

"Elm no! I will not allow this to end up like last time, find the nearest volatile object and target that instead." 

"Alright geez, um, let's see. Ahh found it, they had an armoured vehicle waiting for us! They should have brought more."

"Okay then, ready." June had his eye on the target, the unsuspecting Mistrialian that was on his scroll. 

"Aim." Jaune followed the order and aimed his scope at his targets head. The man had a calm but worried look on his face. He didn't know what was about to happen to him. Now Jaune saw his scope shaking, he was scared about what he was going to do. He was about to end another life. 

_ "Harden your heart Jaune, that is what you must do. On the battlefield there is no time for mercy, those Mistralians won't give you the chance to come back up once you're knocked down, you should do the same, even if you think It's wrong." _

Those were the Headmaster's words during his training days fresh out of the lab. Ironwood and the rest of Atlas were fighting this war, they were dying for this beautiful kingdom, and here he sat shaking because he had to kill someone. He guessed that no matter how much he changed he was still human. 

Jaune closed his heart off and focused his breathing and aim on the Mistralian trooper. "Fire!" The leader didn't need to say it twice. The armored vehicle exploded and the rest of the squad blasted. They were able to confirm that the first strike was a success, regardless of the noise. Eleven kills to start off the battle. Now Jaune had to quickly move deeper into the village where the Huntress was being attacked.

* * *

While Jaune was moving towards his objective the Ace Operatives were advancing and pushing the hostiles. There was no struggle for them, the surprise attack they pulled turned out to be much more deadly than they imagined. 

It was to be expected, the Mistralian soldiers had to be exhausted of their supplies by the time they reached this village. It was very evident when they saw how worn out and beat up their equipment looked. They were looking to rest in this village, regain supplies, and more than likely call in reinforcements.

The Ace Operatives wouldn't let that happen.

"Clover, get on those two snipers, please! I can't return fire while Zeki and Harriet are taking those turrets!"

"Sorry about, I just finished off a few highly-armored targets. I hope we don't see more of those bastards, I always gotta use Kingfisher on them."

Clover moved from his position behind a torn down building. He made haste as one of the snipers took interest in him, Clover had to give it to them, they nicked his Aura on their first shot. He quickly dropped down and dumped some suppressive fire on them which gave Elm the chance to reach them. Once she did she took out her weapon named "Timber" which was a large hammer that created quite the impact when smashed against anything.

In seconds the snipers were wiped out. Clover and Elm moved to the side that Zeki and Harriet were on. They would likely not even need assistance but, they had to speed up their mission.

* * *

The force that Jaune was met with when he reached the central point of the village was staggering. This Huntress had to be very skilled to survive as long as she had. There were very little soldiers but they were very good with their specialities. Their specific ranking patches signified that fact, it was interesting that a group of specialists were leading this many Mistralians. With that said, Jaune didn't train for nothing. He ran to a battered vehicle to get a closer look at his adversaries. 

There were 4 of them, two held a melee weapon both good for reaching attacks. A spear and a staff. The other two held what looked to be guns for close encounters. They would be difficult to deal with.

Nonetheless Jaune started the inevitable battle by stepping from behind the vehicle. Without a second thought, the Atlesian soldier raised his fist high thought with as much force as he could gather, smashed it into the snow. The continent that Atlas settled on was always filled with snow, and the spot that Atlas was specifically built on had the worst of it. With that, Jaune had always thought of using that very environment to his advantage.

It was a good choice and he was sure to use his environment more in the future.

Focusing back on the battle the soldiers were stunned by the amount of snow their enemy kicked up. One of the combatants drew a weapon and slashed it sideways repeatedly, blasting the snow away. When their vision cleared, it revealed that their enemy had vanished in the confusion. They acted quickly and searched around for the Atlesian soldier. Even though they had no cover they knew to stay close in case one of them was attacked. 

This act happened to be the right choice as it saved them from a serious injury. Two of the soldiers threw their bodies away from their spots, one of them couldn't move fast enough but the other one could. He saved his fellow ally but took a large slash to his back. They only knew to dodge because of the faint sound of a sword being released. The man who took the hit wielded the spear, his partner held an smg from the looks of it. 

Jaune did not rest and immediately hit the snow covered ground. It wasn't enough to encapsulate the soldiers this time, but he did vanish in the snow once more. With frustration and fear both of the Mistralian fighters swung their weapons and expelled the cloud of snow, just as anticipated the Atlesian warrior was gone. Well, he was gone from one of the Mistralians views, quickly a gun was shot as everyone could see Jaune fly back from behind the soldier wielding the staff.

The shooter was holding a shotgun and it blasted Jaune at nearly point-blank range. This moment was enough for the 4 man squad to rejoin, they did not squander this chance and promptly sped towards their enemy.

The spear came down on Jaune first before it made his reaction caused him to clasp it, he followed that by tossing the wielder to the side, with that same momentum he hopped back into his feet. The Atlesian felt a blow to his head before he saw the staff, then he was hit in the ribs, one more blow was headed towards his chin. With a quick look behind him he swerved out of the way of the staff, this was a lucky move since behind him the spear wielder was looking to impale at the same time.

The outcome led to the spear wielder tripping and stabbing his fellow melee specialist. Blood soaked through the clothing causing Jaune to tremble once again. The same liquid with that same color that he had seen only in his darkest days. It also materialized today when he killed a man in cold blood. This was a mistake as Jaune was brought out of his thoughts with some shots to his body. 

Once more Jaune cast his feelings aside and lifted his sword, he was intent on ending the spear and staff wielders lives. These were hardened warriors as well, they exhibited that by pulling the spear from the man and aiming their weapons towards Jaune. The Atlesian had no time for plans, he maneuvered around the brawlers and put the gunmen at a disadvantage. He made sure he was behind the combat specialists. They wouldn't shoot their own crew would they?

The lowering of their guns answered that. The battle continued with Jaune gaining the upper hand on the combatants. It was only after he managed to severely injure the spear wielder that the tables turned. Jaune ducked under a jab from the staff wielder and quickly stabbed him in the chest. He wasn't finished yet, with a good amount of force he lifted the Mistralian and slammed him onto the ground. The man grabbed his hand, keeping the sword in his chest, Jaune punched him enough times before his grip weakened enough. With a shout Jaune pulled the sword from the man and stabbed him two more times.

The Atlesian warrior did not stop his assault and moved to the injured spear wielder. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the man with the shotgun, he was close to the spear wielder, close enough for a counterattack. Hastily, Jaune grabbed the spearman and turned him towards the gunman, just as he fired his weapon. Blood flew as the spearman was killed by his ally. The aforementioned ally stared in horror at what he had done.

Throwing the body to the side Jaune thrusted his stained towards the man. He successfully pierced the man's neck, his next action resulted in blood spraying onto his armor, the previously mentioned action was pulling the blade from the man's neck. Before Jaund could react to his actions, he was blindsided by a shoulder tackle, this was followed by a from shots from the smg to his head. He evaded the damage by a hair and pursued the man with an uppercut. This led the hostile to fall to the ground.

Not one to let an opportunity pass him by, Jaune stomped the man's stomach and plunged the sword towards the man's chest. The battered troop narrowly avoided the strike, he responded to the action by throwing his weapon at Jaune's face.

This caused the Atlesian soldier to stagger back, the man quickly stood back up and flung his right fist to Jaune. 

"Rrrragh! You bastard!  _ I'm Gonna Fucking Kill You _ !" This shout came from the now enraged Mistralian. It would seem as though he had finally  _ snapped _ from the death of his teammates. They did quite nicely keeping their head in the battle. 

This unfortunately led to his downfall as Jaune snatched the man's hand. Despite the sudden few snatched, Jaune had never let go of his weapon, therefore the raging Mistralian should have foreseen the blade coming into play. He was met with a stab to his heart.

When Jaune was sure everyone was dead he put the double-sided blade back into its sheath. This battle opened his eyes a bit, real combat was nothing like training. It was terrifying, a single mistake could mean death, he was lucky he had as much Aura as he did. 

There was one more thing that was different. The crushing  _ guilt  _ he was feeling. They killed his mother, he shouldn't be feeling this way, he shouldn't be struggling to keep his lunch in. Yet, he was, he was feeling so guilty at seeing their blood flow from their bodies. The same blood that he bled. The same color.

He had to hold it in though, he still had to relinquish his humanity if only for a little while longer. He had to get to the Huntress, from the distant sounds he was hearing, she didn't have much time left.

* * *

Jaune had made it just in time as well since the last three soldiers had busted into the large building that the Huntress was holding down. These guys were all close combat specialists, this would be a bit of a problem. 

Between stealth and just full-on combat Jaune chose a full-frontal assault, he couldn't waste any more time. 

A shout and a strike with all of his weight behind it was enough to kill one of the three. The other two were able to react one second quicker than the now-dead Mistralian. Their spears were ready and the attention was all on him.

From inside the building at the top floor, all of the remaining villagers stayed safe within an emptied out classroom. The school was their best bet on surviving the attack. Watching over them was an exhausted Neon Katt. She kept a tight hold on her nunchucks, the Mistralians could come from a couple spots aside from the doors. If they wanted to they could blow the walls open. She was very low on Aura, her Scroll told her that she had 4% to be specific. 

Her uniform was torn up from the firefight and she was focusing very hard to keep her eyes open. These Civilians were depending on her, she just had to wait a little longer and her help would arrive. Well as it turns out she didn't need to wait too long. 

A five minutes later a knock on the door from the main hallway led to all of the civilians panicking, they were hastily shut up by Neon as she stood up, she leaned on the wall next to the door and waited. She needed a sign of some sort to know whether it was friend or foe behind the walls. 

***Knock knock***

"Hello! I know that there are survivors within this room but I'm also looking for a huntress. Her name is Neon Katt, she asked for assistance by the RRS. I'm an  _ Atlesian soldier _ that had tagged along with the RRS, my name is Jaune Goodwitch and I have taken out the remaining targets surrounding you all."

The civilians looked to Neon for confirmation, she recognized the soldier’s voice and name. He was  _ unforgettable _ , the only friend from her childhood who was picked on for unknown reasons, well to her at least. "Can you slide your ID under the door then? I'm not going to risk you being an enemy in disguise."

She didn't need to wait as a second later the ID was slid under the door. She collected it, and examined it, she could see no clear signs of it being a forgery. Comparing hers and Jaune's she confirmed that he was a true Atlesian trooper. She promptly unlocked the door and was met with a tall blonde man holding a body over him.

"You're a lot taller than I remember, also is that a body?"

"Yes, we need information and this guy will give it to us. I don't quite remember you but you are indeed familiar."

"I knew you back when we were children, I sat with you on the bus a lot. You were picked on for your scary face but I didn't see the problem. I still don't, by the way. In fact, upon closer inspection, you have turned out to be pretty handsome!"

"Hm, right now we must get you out of this village."

"H-hey what about us? And the c-children especially! Didn't you come here to save us too?"

Jaune looked at all the civilians, there were a lot of women and children with a few men here and there. They wouldn't be heading back to Atlas, they chose to live out here after all. But, they were getting a patrol squad for themselves. They needed to rebuild their own home and as much as Jaune wanted to help, Atlas needed all of the resources they could get. This War had already gone on longer than it should have. The Mistralians had captured some villages, towns and are even holding some strongholds on Solitas.

This was the best Atlas could do for them. After telling them the news they were glad, though some did seem to be bitter about it. At least they understood Atlas's situation.

With all of that said, the day was not over but their mission was done. Jaune and Neon waited for the bullet to arrive so they could head back to Atlas.

"Oh yeah I remember, then the Ace-Ops came and warned us about the incoming Grimm. Those monsters arrived faster than we thought and you and those guys had to take them all out. That was crazy. Then we talked a lot and we became friends again!"

That wasn't entirely accurate, Jaune remembered it as she kept bothering him until he got used to seeing her all the time. At some point, he accepted her a friend but she was pretty much his only one. His annoying, caring and nice friend. 

Jaune was still getting used to his body at the time, well he still is but at the point he would have times where his strength would go overboard. Luckily he progressed by having a week to himself after that incident. Unluckily Neon bothered him the whole time. 

Since then he had been on 7 or so of missions by himself, he didn't want to jeopardize anyone's reputation because he couldn't quite control his body. It felt strange to not be in absolute control of his own body, he couldn't help it though, it was a side effect of unnaturally modifying the Human body. He was sure that in time he would get used to it.

"Hey on the topic of missions, Do you know the one that you're going on soon? I'm partnering with another elite Atlesian soldier, not sure who he is yet but they are supposed to be pretty good." They were about to leave since Neon was finished with her food, this was sudden but Jaune was okay with it. She at least looked happier now, somehow he helped her and that was enough. As a friend at least.

"Hm, I don't quite know the details but the council contacted me earlier. I too, am partnering with someone, we are going to guard a specific town that a couple of captains are resting in. A Grimm invasion is suspected from the info that some scouts have given to one of our generals." 

"Seems simple enough, I'm sure you'll get it done Jaune. You've gotten this far, just wish me luck on mine. I definitely don't want another surprise Mistralian invasion, that would really be a bummer." Neon saw Jaune smile just a tiny bit, it didn't happen very often but when it did she felt proud. She had noticed that he wasn't as expressive as he was when they were little. Something big must've happened for him to close off as he has. As they walked out and said goodbye to each other Neon told Jaune to hang out with her after the mission. 

That said she didn't even know just how long the aforementioned mission would be, maybe it will be a week or a month. Either way, they would hang out more than usual, she wanted to work with him on the field more. That meant that she had to convince him to do some joint operations together. It would be nice to know more about him in the more important part of his life: 

The battlefield.

It was tough just to get Jaune to help her on shopping for clothes and food, or to get him out of his house and sometimes armory. He was too obsessed with Atlas and didn't care enough to have fun. Maybe she could convince him to make friends with other hunters or something.

Luckily enough for Neon, after a few days when the time came for her to get briefed on her mission, she found that her partner was Jaune himself. While on the other her, the previously mentioned Atlesian sighed in acceptance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Tell me your thoughts I would be interested in reading them.
> 
> A better part about why this took so long was me struggling to write the way this mission went. There were many directions it could have gone yet it ended up this way. Furthermore I had to rewrite an action scene that both my Beta-readers disagreed on. I'm sure it's the one thinking of. 
> 
> Anyways the next chapter as I've said will be published a little quicker than this one. I already know where it's heading, and so do you.
> 
> See ya next chapter guys!


	4. Unsettling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: People, I just want to let you know I have a Twitter. If you want to follow me and see my thoughts on games, anime (maybe), and when my progress on the chapters of stories then go to twitter to do so. I'll put a link right here.
> 
> https://mobile.twitter.com/IvanSal44771876

The mission briefing couldn't have come any sooner than Jaune wanted. While it was standard that he must wake up early in the morning for a little workout, this time the briefing would be a little later in the day. So basically, for the time being, he had to find something to do and while he did have options he wasn't keen on any of them. He didn't feel like spending this time with anyone, he just didn't know what to do. Jaune supposed he could take a stroll outside for a while. Maybe he would find something to do then.

The previously aforementioned 'stroll' did not give him anything to do. It had been 25 or so minutes since he started. Still, nothing to do, a little plus was seeing parents with their children walking about. It didn't happen as often as before but from the recent news that was being spread, Atlas was gaining back a very favorable amount of land from the Mistralians. At the start of the war they had taken so much territory, that was mostly because nobody expected Mistral to fight with the intensity that they did.

Those Mistralians, the same that… Well, it wasn't good to stay with those lines of thought. Either way, seeing more people of Atlas come out of their homes was very encouraging. Especially considering he was near Atlas Academy, the civilians had a problem with some of the Council's recent decisions. While the council didn't focus on the students in Atlas Academy they still had a bit of a say in it.

Headmaster Ironwood was doing a great job in Jaune's opinion, the council agreed but they still wanted to run things a bit differently. It wasn't hard for Jaune to know why the people of Atlas and Mantle disliked or in some cases hated the council. They were obviously greedy and had been gaining quite a bit of profit from this war. Jaune disliked it but he had to listen to them, they had funded the super soldier project that he had partaken in after all.

It was just like before, the constant chatter and laughing, just like then back when…. When there was no war. When he still had-

"Excuse me, Sir! You must watch where you're going. Not only could you get into a bit of trouble by bumping into someone but you could also be wasting someone's time. They could be needing to go somewhere quickly."

Before Jaune could finish that thought, someone had bumped into him. The aforementioned person was a female with dark skin, short, navy blue hair and blue eyes. One very noticeable aspect of her appearance was a gold marking consisting of an oval shape surrounded by four smaller circles in the center of her forehead.

She wore a blue beret, a plain gray button-down shirt with an asymmetrical collar and matching leggings, a blue combat skirt, and fingerless, elbow-length black gloves with a wristwatch on her left hand and black shoes. She stuck out like a sore thumb.

"I'm sorry I was a little too into my thoughts, I truly apologize for the minor inconvenience. You may be on your way now." Jaune stepped aside so the girl could pass through, as she continued on her brisk pace he noticed she was heading towards the Academy.

Before the girl continued down that path, she had a little thought in her mind. "Examining your body, you're well built and your stance is very careful and trained. You must be an Atlesian guard of some sort."

Jaune didn't confirm or deny it but the girl knew he was trained in some form of combat. She respected that at least. "Well, I thank you for your respectful behavior, and for quickly letting me go. I wish you the best of luck." With that said, the student bowed her head before walking on. A lot of students were taught to respect their elders so this wouldn't be uncommon. For some reason, though, she seemed a little different. She was also focused on her watch quite a bit.

After that little encounter Jaune decided to take a little time in one of the nearest grocery stores. He had certain foods he wanted to eat again.

* * *

Jaune was very satisfied to see the items he wanted within the same spot he found them before. They rarely showed up so it was nice to see them once again. On his way to purchasing the items he had run into Willow. He didn't have anything important to do so he followed her and assisted by carrying the groceries. They had talked a bit about the last few days which spanned to a longer discussion into many other topics. Willow mostly went on while Jaune listened and piped in every few minutes.

This encounter ended with the two settling themselves in the Schnee manor.

Luckily she only invited him when her husband wasn't home. Jacques was… a very business-oriented, no-nonsense kind of person. Even so, He respected Jaune for the many times he had helped protect some of his shipments and mines. Jaune respected Jacques and his strong will as well as his business tactics. He integrated smaller businesses while smartly and effectively taking down rivals. It was one of the reasons Atlas and the other Kingdom's thrived as they had. Mistral was now cut off but getting dust was still possible; however, it was easier to obtain from The Schnee Dust Company so they were at a disadvantage.

This kind of mindset alongside his constant business demeanor made Jacques a more strict and narrow-minded man. One of the flaws he had. He wasn't pleasant company, unlike his wife and daughter. Jacques was… an Ally of Atlas and therefore he was an Ally to Jaune, but he wasn't personally involved with Jaune. Willow, on the other hand, was pretty much his god-mother, while Winter was like the little sister he never had. He enjoyed his time around them, and since he was out of action for the time being he may as well spend some time with them.

"You know Winter has been wanting to see you again but you've been so busy. She will be really ecstatic to see you again."

Jaune blushed a little at that. Willow always teased him about how much Winter looked up to him. He really didn't interact with many people but somehow these two wormed their way into his heart, though he would never admit that out loud. At least not to Winter. "Well, she is more tolerable than most kids so it isn't so bad being around her. Plus, she has this almost unbreakable drive that I don't see anymore. Only very few possess that, at least only some that I personally know."

Jaune was unaware but he had a small smile on his face. Willow, however, noticed it but decided not to comment on it. It was nice to see Jaune smile every now and then.

After a bit, they reached their destination, Winter's room where she was currently studying. As they walked in Winter looked like she was just finishing up, so Willow decided to steal her attention immediately.

"Good morning, Sweetie! Guess who's here!"

Winter was startled by the sudden greeting from her mother. She held a hand over her heart before putting her work away. "Mother, you must stop startling me like that, I was finishing my work, I could've accidentally ripped it up, you know?"

Willow giggled a bit before she walked towards Winter with her arms wide open. The young Schnee knew to just hug her mother otherwise that woman would do it anyway.

"Mother, I thought you were out getting groceries, though I don't know why. You could have just had some of the servants deliver it to Mr. Jaune."

"Oh, you know I love to go visit him myself when I can. Don't act like you didn't want to see him today as well." A sly smile was on the mother of Winter as she watched the expected reaction of her blushing.

"I didn't have the time, I had to do my work and study for my finals test."

"Well, that doesn't matter. Come in, Jaune!"

Winter heard footsteps and froze up, she was now wondering if he had heard their conversation. Who was she kidding, of course he did. Her mother loved to mess with her all the time. Quickly Winter composed herself just before Jaune stepped into sight. As he did Winter opted to greet him as respectfully as possible. "Mr. Jaune, it's a pleasant surprise to see you today. I hope the trip here with Mother wasn't too much of a hassle."

"Wha- Sweetie! Are you accusing me of bothering little Jauney here?"

"Oum knows how much you barge into his personal space when you can. Anyway, Mr. Jaune, what brings you here today? Are you off for the day?"

Willow sat on Winter's bed while Jaune just stood and leaned on the wall.

"Well, I do have a mission I'm going on today but I have some time before that. When I ran into your mother I decided to visit."

With a happy smile, Winter asked about how he has been since they last talked. It had been a month since then, sure they would say hi when they came across one another but they were both too busy to hang out. Jaune was mostly around Willow as she visited his house when she could.

For a little while, Jaune and Winter conversed about many subjects mostly regarding Atlas and the current war. Willow had left a soon after but she was happy to see Jaune enjoying himself.

Midway through some news about Atlas's current progress on deciding whether androids should be used as soldiers, Jaune and Winter stopped as they heard his scroll's alarm go off.

"Well, It looks like it's time, sorry we couldn't talk much longer Winter."

"Oh no, it's quite fine Mr. Jaune. I enjoyed our conversation just as I always do." Jaune nodded in agreement before getting up from the bed he sat on during their discussion. As Jaune was about to bid her goodbye Winter spoke up and stopped him. "I know we may not see each other for quite some time but I wanted to know. Are you planning to take on a team of students anytime in the near future?"

Jaune didn't respond for a few seconds, "I hadn't been planning on it." Winter's expression grew a bit unhappy at that. Jaune scratched the back of his neck a little before saying, "I wasn't considering it, but I'll think about it." Winter grew a little hopeful at that; Jaune saw that and followed up, "Were you hoping to get me as a teacher?"

The young Schnee started blushing after he said that. He very much hit the nail on the head. She fumbled around her words signaling how nervous and embarrassed she was about it. Jaune just smiled and laid his hand atop her snow-white hair.

"If I do decide to take on some students, rest assured that, given the chance, I will fight to have you as one of them. I see great potential in you, Winter. I know you'll make a fine soldier whether you're with me or not. You've already proven that."

Winter's eyes teared up a little but she leaned a little into his hand.

He then walked out and both said goodbye.

Winter went back to study for the test but she was happy even giddy about the future. She wanted to help protect Atlas on the frontlines, but she had grown to respect Jaune as well. He was one of her heroes. She aspired to be as strong as him, and she knew, under his guidance, she would meet that goal.

* * *

"Ahh, right on time, just as you always are, specialist Jaune Arc. It's best that you hurry and get geared up as you and Neon Katt are both leaving for the mission as soon as possible. The details are in the file, you will be able to go over them on the way. There is no time to waste." The councilman overseeing his mission had spoken quickly and in a monotone voice. That was all Jaune heard before he found himself on bullhead with his very enthusiastic teammate, Neon Katt. Shortly after they boarded he was going over the details that the scouts had collected on the Grimm horde. It was definitely possible but it was going to be a tough battle. Jaune usually dealt with more Human and Faunus opponents, so he was really out of his element. Even though Grimm mostly ran on instinct they were by no means brainless. Regardless Jaune was feeling confident that they could get this mission done easily. He didn't have a mission go wrong in quite a while.

Getting back to the details, he had to make sure he kept Neon's strengths and weaknesses in mind. They would need a plan to take down the few ancient Grimm that were leading the charge.

The best answer would be to deal with the three ancient Grimm first, but they couldn't risk being overrun. The terrain would also have to be considered. They didn't want the entire city possibly collapsing. Be aware of your surroundings, one of the first lessons any soldier or Hunter is taught. From what the pictures were showing, the city that they were defending was surrounded by some mountains. That Nevermore would have a good advantage with that. The city was settled on a few of those mountains, this was majorly important as it contained a bridge that stretched across the Valley. It was the best way to transport anything in this part of Solitas. It was also necessary for Atlas and Mistral in the current war. This would not only be a great stronghold but a very effective path to use when transporting anything, in the case of the war, however, infantry and supplies.

Jaune was then interrupted by Neon as she crashed into him. "Jaune! We are almost there, you got your strategy down yet? You've been quiet the whole time so I've been getting really bored."

"I've got a rough idea but it would be best if we discuss it together."

Neon nodded with a confident and eager smile and joined him for the few minutes they had left. By the time they arrived the plan had been settled. It was more effective now that Neon had given a few ideas. She was very ambitious but he would give her the benefit of the doubt. She was a Huntress so she should be able to complete her task.

It had only been 10 minutes since they arrived at their destination where they planned to battle the Grimm. Neon would start the fighting by attracting all of the Grimm's attention, while Jaune would ambush and quickly take out the ancient Grimm.

When the time came, they enacted that very plan with a very successful start. Neon surprised Jaune with her expertise in crowd control.

Her many opponents were made up of mostly Beowolves while Creeps and Boarbatusks were sprinkled in. This was a little more difficult than she had originally thought, this was not the biggest horde she had seen but there were quite a few Alpha Grimm in there. Then again, she was not a Professional Huntress for nothing.

With that she snapped her glow stick nun-chucks to use Ice-Dust. There was no real elaborate plan that they could use to deal with this. They were really far from the bridge/stronghold and they were on the side that Atlas's troops were coming from. They had to deal with this horde as quick as possible, if the Grimm attack the Bridge then their troops wouldn't stand a chance. The Mistralians would most likely be able to evacuate the area and have the least amount of casualties.

With that knowledge in mind Neon narrowed her eyes towards her enemies and began skating. The first blow she dealt was on an Alpha Boarbatusk. Within a second of freezing it, she focused the Aura around her left foot and kicked the Grimm into pieces. Then she narrowly swerved around 3 Beowolves, this was followed by a Boarbatusk attempting to skewer her, the rainbow themed Huntress timed it and moved to the side just before it hit her. Neon was now deep into the crowd and wanted to kill one more Alpha before employing a special mechanic within her weapon.

The Huntress skillfully slid by and froze every single Grimm that she passed. She then skated right back to them and began destroying a few, she had a bit more planned than just that. There were still quite a bit of Grimm so she couldn't waste all of her dust. That's why she left the last Alpha Boarbatusk alive. She was having it destroy the frozen Grimm for her. Once that was accomplished she snapped her nun-chucks, now she needed to swiftly cut down the rest of the horde.

Neon used her Aura on her arms, if she was fast enough the fire dust would burn really hot and she would be able to cut through the Grimm. Literally, the heat would burn them and alongside the force she put into her swing, well it would have devastating effects. As predicted she was slicing right through the limbs of many right and Creeps. The trail of burning Grimm was very eye catching if one could look upon it. Then, to instantly dwindle the numbers she snapped the Glowsticks back to Ice dust. Neon then focused her breathing and attention on the Grimm around her.

All of the remaining Grimm were converging on her, she liked to strike hard and fast. The move however would require swift reflexes. Neon stopped moving and waited for a Grimm to he in close combat distance. Once that happened she quickly struck it's head, after that anoth came and she created the same action. Any Grimm that attempted to attack her was swiftly dealt with. She was moving so fast one could see the very air around her become distorted. Whether they came from in front of her or behind her, they all met the same fate.

Neon was managing quite well, she really was skilled especially against the Grimm. Jaune wouldn't be so bold as to allow the Grimm to surround him. The title of Huntress or Huntsman was truly nothing to scoff at.

Moving on from that, after dwindling their forces, Jaune had already killed two of the three Ancient Grimm. He had recently learned to enhance his physical strength with Aura. He was still a little shaky with it especially while taking hits, but he managed to take down the Nevermore. He ripped off the bone armor atop its head and finished it with his double-bladed longsword.

After that, he took some damage from both of the other ancient Grimm. One was a Gryphon while the other was a Beringel; they were both fast for their size. However, Jaune was strong too, he used the Beringel's telegraphed attacks and momentum to throw him around the large valley. Each time he was distanced from the Beringel he would goad the Gryphon into attacking him with its claws. He only needed to grab on so he could rip its armor off and kill it.

The valley was too broad to be of use. Well, for Jaune at least. Neon, on the other hand, fit right in with the amount of space she was given. If Jaune hadn't been attempting to ride on a Griffon while being hounded by a Beringel, he may have seen her battle as beautiful. However, even he knew just how much control Neon had over her enemies' lives. It was frightening, to say the least.

While Neon was doing just fine and finishing off the last of the Grimm, Jaune had finally gotten on the Griffon and cut off its head. This, unfortunately, left a price to be paid. The aforementioned price was his sword, he didn't carry a shield as he was better with a lone sword. Jaune should have predicted that the sword wouldn't be able to withstand the strength of an ancient Grimm, let alone multiple ones. Now his blade was broken, he had to use a more hands-on approach, in a more literal sense. This led to him crashing into the side of a cliff, hard, and his Aura level fell into the red. He could tell by how the impact felt.

After a few seconds, Jaunes eyes focused once again. He began to free himself from the crater but, while he was struggling to pry himself from the cliff, Neon had to deal with the raging Beringel. Normally it would have been easy, however, this Beringel had learned a bit from its battle with Jaune.

It rushed Neon with a fist aiming towards her stomach, Neon prepared to skate to its side and freeze its legs but it faked her out and plunged towards her when it was close. She was surprised and couldn't react fast enough to slide under it, so the Beringel grabbed her head and slammed it onto the ground. Immediately her Aura dropped to yellow. She had taken a few blows from her previous fight and she didn't have the same amount of Aura that Jaune did. Not to mention the strength this Ancient Grimm held. The Beringel didn't let up and slammed fist after first onto her. The force of the initial slam had knocked her weapon out of her hand and out of reach. She was at its complete mercy.

Only a few seconds later did she get out of her hopeless situation. Neon's eyes widened as she saw Jaune tackle the Beringel. Her Aura was already in the red and if she had to guess, it would have shattered with one more blow. Neon struggled to stand back onto her feet, she grabbed her Nunchucks and looked up to see Jaune with his back to her. The cat Faunus searched for a moment to hit the Beringel. She skated up to Jaune as he watched over the Beringel's movements.

Neon would have questioned why Jaune didn't finish it but could see how sluggish his movements were. He wouldn't have been fast enough, it seemed. Before Neon could get a word in, the Beringel slammed the surface with all its might. This move threw both the hunter and specialist off, allowing the Grimm to pounce towards them. Jaune regained himself only a moment later before seeing the murderous red eyes of the Grimm above him. Jaune lifted his arms regardless of how much they hurt to meet the Beringel's grip. Immediately, Jaune found himself struggling and failing against the strength of the dark creature.

It felt like minutes under that immense pressure. Jaune couldn't believe it, he was weak once again. He had trained and gone through those painful experiments so this would never happen again. He didn't want to be that weakling boy, that weakling who couldn't protect himself. That weakling who sat and took the abuse of a weak-minded bully. After all these years, had nothing changed? He had to save his partner and himself. He was strong, at least that was what he believed. Now? He wasn't sure, not as he was now, on his knees, losing. He would lose not only his life but someone else's as well, someone that he cared about. What was the point of changing his body if he couldn't protect any of the people he loved? What was the point, if he wasn't strong?

Jaune was snapped out of his dark thoughts as the weight of the Grimm was suddenly gone. His eyes focused and saw the Beringel holding a part of its mask with a crack through it. A moment later, Neon came into view as she smacked it again. Before the Beringel could retaliate it was struck in the mask once again, and again, and again before it no longer moved. Neon sat atop it breathing heavily.

Jaune could only stare at the strange sight before him. He had never seen Neon look so serious. He wasn't prepared to see the tears in her eyes; he also wasn't prepared for Neon to jump on him and wrap her arms around him. She was afraid, and as much as he hated to admit it, he was too. He really, really hated to admit that, but for now, it didn't matter. His friend needed him.

He couldn't stop the scolding that she gave him immediately after.

* * *

After calling for a pickup and getting the payment for their successful mission, Jaune and Neon were about to part ways before Neon decided to ask Jaune something.

"Have you ever considered joining a team?"

"No, I like to work alone."

"Well, I think that you would actually be better with other people on your side. In fact, I believe you have the skills to lead a team of your own." Jaune was a little surprised at her assumption, but before he could respond, however, she continued. "I don't do it often, but I researched a little about you. Your grades and performances in all of your time in school. You excelled in leading a team and never lost a battle in those simulations. While I may have modified the plan, you went along with my suggestion. It shows that you can listen to others as well."

Jaune's expression darkened, Neon knew that he shut himself off from interacting with people without professional intentions. That's why she was trying to get him to open up a bit more and in her opinion, she couldn't be the only one to help him do that. He needed to reconnect with people. His people.

"Jaune." The blonde felt his friend's hand lay along his shoulder, "I want you to do this not for me but yourself. You can't protect Atlas alone no matter how strong you become but you can help in many ways." Neon looked him straight in his eyes, he stared into hers as well. "One of those could be taking on some students." Of all the things Jaune expected, that was not one of them. "You don't have to say yes, but I want you to think about it."

Then Neon did something that she did all the time but for some inexplicable reason, this time was different. She shined that bright smile at him and said to him, "Plus, I think you'd make an amazing teacher!" Jaune didn't know why but with how genuine she was with those words, he started to believe them if only just a bit.

After that interaction, Jaune sat at home and had some time before he needed to sleep. His head was unfortunately still occupied, but not by Neon anymore. No, he was thinking of something else, something that disturbed him greatly, something that had come back to haunt him.

His physical capabilities.

He couldn't even hold back a Beringel which wasn't even the strongest of Grimm. He, the person who unnaturally changed his body to become a soldier. Sitting on his bed, Jaune had changed into his casual apparel and stared down at the floor. These were the times he wished 'she' was still with him. 'She' would know what to say.

He stayed like that for a few minutes before he heard a sound come from his scroll. It was a message from Willow, she asked how his mission went. He didn't want to worry her so he said that while it was difficult they got through it just fine. She then told him that Winter would soon be graduating and signing up for Atlas Academy.

He wasn't sure why she told him aside from the obvious reason of attending the graduation ceremony. He just shook his head and messaged back that he was going to sleep. She wished him a good night.

If there was one thing Jaune knew, it was the fact that he hadn't been strong enough to stop that Beringel. If Neon had not summoned whatever strength she had left, they would have died. He often didn't fight against Grimm, but that wasn't an excuse, not to him. He was supposed to be strong enough to protect everyone he loved, and more importantly, he had to be strong enough to protect Atlas. His mother's home. His home.

* * *

The council room held a certain atmosphere within it. It may change from time to time but during this time of war, it was always tense, however, this was likely due to three main members. One of which was missing at the moment, that was a man by the name of James Ironwood. He had been a soldier that made quite the impact on Atlas, many would agree that him holding the position of Headmaster extremely beneficial to Atlas.

On that note, a big problem the council had with James, was that he was a true patriot of Atlas. But that was for Atlas, not the council, nor the King. For those in the council, it was a problem all except to one member. His name was Cardin Winchester, he advocated more for the people of Atlas while the council differed from that. It was no secret that the council had collected money and resources from the resources of Mantle and Atlas collectively. Their greed only grew as time went on. Cardin was unable to stop them and could only make minor changes.

The other person was just as important, to Cardin she was even more so. He believed she was the one to corrupt the council. He constantly watched her as best he could, he was her enemy. It seems as though only he could see her true self, but that only did so much for him. He did not know whether she intended to take over Atlas or bring it to ruin or even something worse. All Cardin knew was that she did not care in the slightest for the great Kingdom of Atlas.

However, today was a meeting about something that she did find some interest in. And so did he. It was about a soldier, a special soldier named Jaune Goodwitch. He was the son of Glynda Goodwitch, a very powerful woman that had tragically passed away during the beginning stages of the war.

He was special because he was assigned missions directly from the council, this was also because just like James, Jaune truly cared for Atlas and only Atlas, something that Cardin could respect. Anyway, Jaune was a bit of a loose cannon to the council. They didn't fully control his mind and they couldn't do so by any means. And they did try but Jaune just didn't give in. At some point, Cardin considered contacting him. Maybe he could gain an ally in Jaune, he was trying to get 'that' woman off the council after all. It would be best to have a bodyguard or something. He didn't count out an assassination attempt from her, with the power she held over the council, she was force to be reckoned with. Those were his thoughts as least.

At the moment they were discussing Jaune's recent mission but Cardin mostly tuned it out. He knew the outcome, they would praise his efficiency and then think about a better way to control him. Or "guarantee his loyalty to Atlas." It was all bullshit in the orange-haired Winchester's opinion.

"Councilmen, with this information in mind as well as other data that has been compiled. I believe he is quite ready to be sent to the main frontlines." There it was, the dangerously seductive voice of 'that' woman. Cardin was now fully invested in this. The tone of her voice shifted and revealed that her curiosity in this subject, not many would notice but he did.

"Well, looking at it all I'd say that I agree with you."

"I agree with that as well, he has shown himself to be quite good at tasks when alone and accompanied by others."

"I'm still a little skeptical, to be honest here, but your judgment has never led us astray. So, Ms. Fall, I agree with that statement. Jaune Goodwitch looks to be ready for the frontlines."

"I disagree," Everyone's attention was now focused on Cardin. They knew that he was quite against most if not all of their decisions but he was favored i the people. Having him on the council let people have hope, hope that they could exploit. "I heavily disagree, in fact, I think that Jaune Goodwitch is still in need of proper training with teams."

"Hmm, what exactly do you mean Mr. Winchester? I'd say he has led a few teams on successful missions with very few casualties." Those bright amber eyes that stared back at Cardin did not unnerve him in the slightest. It actually angered him, this faker along with the rest did not care for Atlas or its people. Not like he and James did.

"I'd say that he would need at the very least a year's worth of experience with a team. Though if that seems too long, then maybe we could have him take on some students of his own. For at least 6 months or so. It is no secret that he likes to work alone. We all know that in Atlas teamwork is a very powerful skill that our soldiers learn and practice very early on in their training."

"I would disagree with you Mr. Winchester, as this point of time in the war, having Mr. Goodwitch out on the battlefield could help increase morale amongst the soldiers. He has gained a bit of a reputation amongst the military alongside the Ace Operatives. but you do have a point. Having Mr. Goodwitch more comfortable around his own people would be beneficial to us. It wouldn't do for that young man to be unable to incapable of communicating. I believe we should have our missing councilmember inform him of this. And as for the 6 months, I would lower it, but if he is to take on some students then that amount of time is reasonable enough."

The other councilmembers chimed in with their opinions but ultimately they followed Ms. Fall no matter what. Cardin's mind was a little relaxed at that, Jaune so far was an ally, and on the subject of whether he was truly loyal to Atlas or not, he would have to talk to him to confirm that. But Ironwood seemed to believe in him, so to Cardin that said a lot. Either way, for now, Cardin just had to sit and wait for the meeting to end. Of course, he would step in when they went too far but he could only do so much. Soon enough he had to get far more powerful allies, even James wasn't fully on his side. Maybe Jaune would be quite a powerful ally after all.

All Cardin knew was that right now, he hoped James was right about Jaune. The council did not need another puppet that they could control. They already held too much power. It was only due to his help that the people of Atlas and especially Mantle hadn't started a rebellion.

Then again, would that be so bad? Maybe under the right conditions, it could work, but for now, they needed to end the war first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright let's get one thing out of the way. I'm going to stop promising to upload very shortly after a chapter has released because I never do it. So if I upload a chapter in like 5 days just be happy but don't expect it to happen. I don't want to make promises can't keep.
> 
> Next, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Originally this was supposed to be longer but I split it. That means that I will start working on the next chapter shortly after this one is released. So yeah. Not sure when I'll be done but it will hopefully be soon. I got stuff to do besides this so sorry that it takes so long.
> 
> Lastly, tell me what you think about it. Roast me if you want I just wanna read your thoughts. I'm also going to try to keep these chapters to about 5K words as the minimum. It will help get them out faster.
> 
> Anyway, until next time!
> 
> P.S. Here is a message from the other beta reader:  
Hi. I want to make this as awkward as possible. I exist. It has been great to work with PsychoMonarch701/Psycho/LackOfReason/insert-other-aliases-here, and Kaii/FireFlux/Flux. On FFnet I do go by Xyzantylzethyrioses, or Zeth for short. I have used other aliases in other places, and I am actually transitioning away from Xyzantylzethyrioses since it’s obviously too long. Part of the purpose of that name is to be obnoxious without resorting to insults or idiocy. Now I will contemplate giving more information, such as the other aliases or some personal details, and just decide not to, because it makes this more awkward. Congrats, all. And I will conveniently not answer the question of pronouns, even though I easily could answer and I don’t like giving ambiguity in that area, solely because this makes the introduction even more awkward. Not only am I not saying much, but I am also explicitly mentioning that I intentionally avoided saying much, even though I wanted to say more. …!? WHaT apparently I don’t list any of the above relevant information on my FFnet profile page, either. Neat. That fits into the pointless scheme very nicely. Welcome to the awkwardness.  
So actually, I’m pretty decent at not being awkward. I just think this makes a better introduction. You’re welcome.  
The plan for this story is pretty neat, so look forward to more, you readers. I appreciate the opportunity to comment, complain, and suggest. Assisting in the creation of a work is pretty neat, and I’m a natural critic, so exercising this capacity is part of my reward. The other part of my reward is monetary compensation. Just kidding. This is all for the funsies.  
Apparently, according to the Chapter 1 author’s note, I have pointed out plot holes. Thanks for the mention. It’s just what I do. Apparently I have also helped with realism (though often more on the side of brutality, lol). That’s also something that just comes naturally. It’s still Psycho’s story overall, so don’t give me too much credit! (I have also held back… lol. Nobody wants the full force of every possible critique. Some of you reviewers might also want to keep that in mind.)  
Now I will conveniently declare that I am done saying my piece, and awkwardly trail off while explicitly being self-aware about the intentional awkwardness… and while including too many adverbs… and maybe something else if I think of it… Ooh, I’m actually trailing off now… Neat…


	5. Duty Calls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter is kinda short, sorry about that. The next chapter will involve more stuff and it will be doper than this one. But this is important.

The knock at the door woke Ironwood from his little trance. Constantly doing paperwork tended to wear him out but since he had to do it, he would attempt to speed through it as fast as possible. No distractions. But for a moment, just after finishing one of the last few a knock came through to his ears. The Headmaster rubbed his eyes before telling the person to come in. 

"Looking a little dead there, having a rough week James?" The voice was one that Ironwood recognized. It was Cardin Winchester, one of the councilmen of Atlas.

"I won't lie I have been a little stressed over the paperwork. It's not just from the Academy but also from the information on our current position in the war. It's…. Better than before, way better but we're going to have to pick it up soon. Our morale is declining and not many people are signing up. They don't want to fight-"

"What they think is a pointless war, yeah I know James." Cardin walked up to the desk and pulled a seat for him to sit on. "I'm on the council, I hear about this stuff and more." Cardin grew a little tired as well when thinking about it. "Ever since this war started it's just been an ever-worsening situation." Ironwood looked into Cardin's eyes and saw a fierce determination spring to life. "But it doesn't have to be this way, not for long. The Ace Operatives among other Hunters and soldiers are gaining a great reputation. Soon we will take back Solitas, it's only a matter of when."

James Ironwood couldn't stay unmotivated with words like that. Cardin smirked while James smiled and laughed. "I guess that's one reason that you're a part of the council. You can inspire hope in people and you can build trust quite easily. You'd have made a great General you know?"

Smirking Cardin responded. "Nah, that's not the life for me. Ever since that fateful day, I decided on choosing a career to help people. But we got a different thing to discuss right now." James raised an eyebrow at that. He was even a little more concerned when Cardin sighed and his expression shifted into a much darker one. 

"What is it? What did the council do now?"

"The meeting that you missed was mostly uneventful like usual. Until the end. The details and success of Jaune Goodwitch's recent mission was brought up."

"I'm sure there is something more to that but I hope it isn't too bad."

"Cinder took an interest in the conversation. She suggested that Jaune be put on the field, she argued that his success on solo and cooperative missions guarantees that he is ready. He has done very few missions with others and we both know why. He doesn't trust people."

James knew that this was a massive problem for Jaune's use as a soldier. He was powerful but he would be stronger if he could bring out the inner leader in him. Ironwood saw the great potential Jaune had, it wasn't just because he was Glynda's son. Just like Glynda, Jaune could be loved and respected by his fellow Atlesians. But, from past experiences that was made much more difficult. He had closed himself off, the only time he seemed to get along with someone was with anyone he already knew. There was the Ace Operatives but they were a friendly bunch, they made a good impression on Jaune but only in the field.

"I managed to argue back that he needed more time and experience. I'd say about a year's worth of time but I knew they wouldn't go that far. So 6 months at most was the best amount of time I could give him."

"Did they all agree with this? I'd imagine some weren't too keen on the idea."

"You know how they are James, they all followed Cinder like a herd of sheep. She surprisingly agreed with the conditions, I don't know what she is thinking but this works in Jaune's favor. We, unfortunately, have to force him to grow up a little faster than intended." 

Sighing and thinking about the situation James responded. "It is not ideal but it has to happen. He has already learned how to deal with taking lives. A full year ago, I'm glad Willow was able to help him with that. I don't know what I would have done." Ironwood felt Cardin's hand on his shoulder, the orange-haired man had a smile.

"James you don't give yourself enough credit, I'm sure you would have done just fine. You care about your soldiers and I know that most of them feel the same way. Anyway, he has a week to get a team of soldiers or in my recommendation a group of students. Whether they are hunters in training or soon-to-be soldiers." Both men stood up and shook hands. "You gotta break the news to him today. It's going to suck but I'm sure you can help him a bit with selection."

"Yeah, thanks, Cardin. You're a good friend, you do all that you can for Atlas and you deserve all of the recognition from the people. Soon enough, we will win this war and take action against the council. They've leeched off of Atlas for far too long."

"Heh, just what I was thinking, and you know what they say. Great minds think alike. See ya later James, and have a good day." Cardin left the room leaving it to be silent once again. But, that couldn't stop the smile from staying on James' face. He had work to do and even though the future for some was looking to be harsh, he was sure they could pull through it. Especially Jaune, he was Glynda's kid after all. He could make it through this. On the other hand, James hoped that Jaune having students would change him for the better. From what he had seen lately Jaune was beginning to open up a bit more.

The Headmaster called the young Goodwitch and told him to meet him at his office. He needed to get this out of the way. Jaune would need those 6 months, taking on students was a big responsibility. James just hoped Jaune would be more open to the idea, it would make the situation a lot easier.

* * *

Jaune sighed as he hung up and put down his scroll. Headmaster Ironwood had called for him, he had hoped to start his new training regime but duty calls. Hopefully, this wasn't another mission, he needed some time alone. He needed to begin pushing his body past its limits. The last mission had shown how arrogant and lazy he had grown to be. He thought that normal exercises mattered, that was all that he had been trained in after gaining his new body. He should have known that it wouldn't be enough. 

Well, now that he had learned his lesson he would make sure to push further beyond what he thought was possible. 

After the meeting.

* * *

Jaune had arrived in the academy and had to deal with being swarmed by some students on the way. That was the result of being talked about by many in the military. He was almost as well-known and respected as the Ace-Operatives. Though he didn't care much about what he was convinced to be polite at the very least. 

The blonde-haired soldier knocked on the door. A second later he was given the confirmation to enter the room. No matter how many times he did it, gazing at the office always made him look in awe. It always held a sense of importance, responsibility, and power. Its space was quite significant as well, it was most likely to accommodate multiple students. Many students were assigned to work with one another for missions. Unlike the other Kingdoms, Atlas didn't have students form teams of 4, at least not for their entire time in the Academy. Instead, the students would form a team of 4 with different students every assignment.

It was better to have them work with many new faces and fighting styles. It also helped them work with others on the fly in their later years. Especially when they had to take down criminals and Grimm. Of course, this also helped the students when they needed to take down or possibly kill…. rogues. That didn't happen often but it was something to watch out for.

Jaune was snapped out of his thoughts when the Headmaster addressed his presence. Ironwood sighed before greeting Jaune. When asked about his day Jaune had answered that it was great so far. While that did hurt a bit for Ironwood, seeing as he was going to drop a bit of a burden on him right, it was good seeing Jaune very happy. Not many could see it from Jaune's blank expressions but he was genuine when he said he was doing great. 

Little by little the old Jaune was coming back. In time, Jaune will smile more around his friends and be filled with happiness, at least that's what James was hoping for.

"Sir, I'm wondering what it is that you require of me. I apologize for being a little hasty but I wanted to do some training today. N-not to say that it is more important than what you must say, of course, it's jus-" 

James stopped the younger man from speaking by raising his hand. The older man sighed once again before responding. "It's okay Jaune, I understand you just got done with a mission and you want to rest and train a little more, likely because of some things you couldn't accomplish correct?" Jaune nodded his head a little ashamed at being selfish in front of a senior. "Come closer." Jaune obeyed and walked to the front of the desk almost touching it.

"I shouldn't have said such a thing, Headmaster. I'm a soldier and I must do whatever you order me too without question. Me whining as I did, was akin to that of cursing at you especially when you've done so much for me. I'm ready for any mission you have for me, always!" Jaune bowed his head down and heard nothing from the Headmaster. Then after a few seconds, the Headmaster spoke.

"Rise up Jaune, look at me." The son of Glynda Goodwitch did so quickly and saw a familiar expression on his face. "Jaune one thing you should never forget is that you are a person as well. You aren't just a soldier and neither is any Atlesian. We are all people with flaws. You should not be ashamed of accidentally letting your selfishness seep through. Heh, to be honest, I've seen way worse and if I had the chance I would give you some time off." Jaune was a little alarmed at Ironwood's proud expression. He was even more surprised when his expression formed into a more apologetic one.

"You have a new task straight from the council in a recent meeting. This one is… different, however. Jaune there is not much I can do to sugarcoat this but you are going to have to either have to work with a squad of new soldiers or take on a team of students. It's a lot and I apologize but the council have demanded that you head to the battlefield as soon as possible. Luckily a friend of mine was able to give you 6 months of time before you have to head to the battlefield." 

"I will take on the students."

"I know it's a lot to take in and you will need a couple of minutes to- wait huh?"

"I will take on the students."

James could not believe what he was hearing. It was actually unbelievable, Jaune the one who trusts almost no-one is opting to teach a group of students. The only time he was eager about anything surrounding people was working with the Ace Operatives. He admired them so it was understandable that he felt he could trust them. It took quite a bit for him to trust James himself. Neon Katt was someone from his childhood, there was also the fact that she was too stubborn for him to just brush off, while he trusted her Jaune most likely found some part of her tolerable.

Maybe it was his friendship with Neon, the Ace Operatives and the familial bond he had with most of the Schnee family that changed him. Teaching a group of students and in other words, holding their future in his hands would help Jaune grow more as a person.

"Alright, well the council has unfortunately given you little time to select the students that you want to take under your wing." Jaune's determined gaze did not waver, James was sure that if Glynda was here she would gush about how her son was growing too fast. For James though, he felt a great sense of pride. He had personally dropped in any time that he could during Jaune's regime for his new body. He had even taught Jaune a few things on the more sensitive side of being a soldier. 

"Right, well you have about a week to find those students." The older Atlesian searched his desk a bit, "Luckily, I have something here to…. help with that. Ahh, here it is." Jaune's attention was now focused on the file that the Headmaster plopped onto the desk. Ironwood leaned down a bit and searched through the file for a few seconds. Jaune was a little confused at what the Headmaster was going to give him if he thought about it, however, it was likely going to be a list of recommended students. Or a pass to Atlas academy so he could search for himself.

"This should help you decide within the span of a week. Good luck Jaune, you'll probably need it."

The young soldier had his answer. It was a list of students. As predicted. 

After leaving the Academy Jaune immediately went home. He had a very limited amount of time to choose his students. So for the rest of the day, he would look read through the students that interested him most. 

On that note, he found a couple of things while looking through the files. The first thing he found was a little note inside that said, "Just in case I forget to mention, there is a pass under this note here. With that, you will be able to get into the Academy and observe and interview the students. You can do so anytime during their time in the Academy. Also, I have marked a few students that I recommend you look at. Good luck!"

'Hmm, interesting.'

* * *

After spending three days looking through the students he could only find a few that interested him. Unfortunately, out of 7 possible choices, only one had actually considered following his command. Many of the students wanted to become Hunters and wanted to do the full four years. Others who wanted to become soldiers were not too eager to go with him, not when he explained a bit of what they might be going through.

The other six had, in the end, decided they were not mentally prepared for that kind of task. The one that did stay was named Ciel Soleil. In an amusing turn of events, she was the one he had run into a day ago. She seemed to focus on the timing of many events. Such a thing did matter but not to the extent that she went to. Especially not with trivial matters like a set time for meetings and what to arrive. Jaune just preferred to arrive early, if someone was a little late he didn't mind it. It would give him more time to prepare.

She was strange, and Jaune did not say that about someone very often.

But, while she was strange he felt that she could be a great soldier. One of the greatest, at least, that was what he thought. A large part of it was her semblance, it was quite fascinating. The ability to slow down time, though it was only when she was completely still. That might explain why she was very precise when he spoke with her. She didn't ask any questions that weren't that she herself couldn't gain the answer to. She wanted to know what his training schedule was, where they would train, for how long would they train, and other things similar to that.

That little session was quite memorable exactly with how it started. She had done her research when she heard rumors about Jaune prior to him getting the pass. She immediately apologized to him upon entering the room that they would conduct the interview in.

He was okay with her not knowing him, he preferred they make their opinions on him by themselves. Moving on from that, he asked her the same questions as everyone else. The only important ones were those that confirmed her determination. They mostly questioned whether she would follow order regardless of what she personally thought. Of course, without outright saying it. 

Needless to say, she passed the test and was now under Jaune's care. Well sorta, he still had to get the final student, he already had Winter in mind and was going to ask her about it. He had forgotten to do so since he was spending most of his time asking the students in the academy. So, while he was searching for this last person she would have to keep going to class.

This week was going by a lot faster than he thought and getting his students was easier than he had imagined. He was also quite nervous, he didn't often trust people, and now he would hold the lives of young Atlesians in his hands. He had to train them, teach them and help them become stronger than any regular Atlesian soldier. In the end, his fear didn't matter, he made that decision and he would have to stick with it.

Plus, Neon believed that he could do it, he wouldn't want to let his friend down.

That said he had a more relaxing and assuring time speaking with Winter. Though when he told her about him taking her as a student she unexpectedly yelled in excitement and jumped up and hugged him. He knew she admired him quite a bit but that was a bit much considering how composed she usually was. Immediately after that, she organized herself and apologized for the unprofessional outburst. 

Jaune didn't mind too much and just patted her head. Just like he always did.

And luckily for Jaune when he told the young Schnee about him having to find the last student, she recommended someone. She said this girl was "Very intelligent, stealthy, devoted, and swift in terms of combat and movement." She was also a Faunus and she was an orphan. Learning that tidbit alongside her grades and performances in combat made Jaune choose her as his last student.

Another part was her recent loss, she was a war orphan like him. If he knew anything about that, it was what she was feeling right now. Before he started to train her he would most likely have to help her. 

With that, he set out to find his last student. Illia Amitola, the Chameleon Faunus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Don't got much to say for this chapter. Cardin ain't a bad dude here so that's nice! Also, Winter's admiration for Jaune is really cute. Can't wait to write more if that.
> 
> Okay, see ya next time!

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: So I hope you enjoyed the chapter or that it has interested you. If so then you should comment and tell me your thoughts. This story has been brewing for almost a month now. However for the past two weeks or so I've gotten two amazing Beta Readers. They have helped with making this chapter which was very difficult. As well as helping immensely with the plot for the story.
> 
> They deserve recognition for their assistance in this story and chapter of course. So they may introduce themselves. Now I'm not sure but I don't think they exist on here. So you probably won't be able to find them. Still I will give them props since they will be helping with this story.
> 
> 'Ello cuties!
> 
> Well, as you've probably put together, I'm one of the betas, Kaii. Though also I go by FireFlux and a bunch of other aliases, mostly because Kaii is too short for most usernames, bleh. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, to be fair like...90% of this was written by Psycho (Though the storytime, or rather the latter half of it, was me, yay). Now, I'm just gonna mention, if any of you like cuteness, I have my own story.
> 
> It's a Naruto one, and it's called Hana Nanashi. Shameless self-promo, I know, but whatever. If you want, go check that out. I mean, it has the Kyuubi as an adorable female fox-sized fox, so yeah, it's adorable, I love it, and squee. Otherwise, I dunno, maybe the other beta, whose name still escapes me, will also say hi beneath me!
> 
> Hope to see you all in the next chapter!
> 
> Right well that was Flux. Now as for the other Beta Reader he/she (I don't know) goes by the name Xyzantylzethyrioses. They have helped with critical points in the story as well as pointing out plot holes. They've also helped with some realism for this story. I appreciate their work on this story very much.
> 
> That's it for now, till next chapter. And I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Oh yeah and Comment please! I'd love to hear your thoughts.


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